


Knock 'Em Dead, Darling

by Themis_76



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Confident Katsuki Yuuri, Dark Comedy, Fluff and Angst, M/M, POV Victor Nikiforov, Reapers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-12-07 02:23:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 116,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11613951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themis_76/pseuds/Themis_76
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki was a reaper. A soul reaper.“Reaper Katsuki, I have called you here today to accept an assignment. Before I hand you this assignment I want to remind you of Rules #1 & 2. Rule #1 - You cannot refuse an assignment. Rule #2 - you must ensure that the assignment ends with the required death. Do you understand me Reaper Katsuki?” The words were spoken with more formality than Yuuri had ever heard from Celestino. And why, after over 3 years he was reminding him of the Rules, Yuuri couldn’t fathom...unless this assignment was somehow personal or otherwise difficult.Celestino moved to hand him a sealed envelope. As he accepted it he noted with detached thoughts that it looked for all the world like any other assignment. What could be so difficult? All eyes in the room were on him as he shakily opened the seal and freed the piece of paper within.He looked down at the page and his eyes widened almost comically.Or the AU where Yuuri has a surprising assignment which leads to Viktor becoming a fellow reaper. Drawn together by the Law of Magnetism, in a bit of a role reversal Yuuri becomes Viktor’s idol, guiding him through the afterlife.





	1. Prologue & Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters are short to begin with since there's lots of info. They lengthen as the plot develops. There will be angst but NO Victuuri angst. Also LOTs of humour.
> 
> Spelling is Canadian - so an inconsistent mix of British and American.
> 
> Obviously I do not own the characters. References to ISU media releases and news articles are entirely fictional :)

~~~~~~ **PROLOGUE** ~~~~~~

****

_March 11, 2011, 2:18 pm, Japan_

****

JJ was flipping through his binder, with its 18,456 pieces of paper. His assignments. Each paper represented a death. A death that he would cause, and a soul that he would reap. He took his job seriously, and he was damn good at it. As he flipped through he noticed one piece of paper seemed to be glowing. Quickly flipping to that page he stared down at the single line.

****

**Yuuri Katsuki, 2:55 pm March 11, 2011, Sendai, Japan**

****

But as he watched the ink seemed to smear with the flickering light that was emanating from the paper As the glow finally faded and the writing became clear again JJ let out a low groan. The location had changed.

****

**Yuuri Katsuki, 2:55 pm March 11, 2011, Matsushima, Japan**

****

This was unheard of. Once the assignment was handed out it never changed. What now??? He had less than 30 minutes for the finishing touches on the event that would occur at 2:46 pm that would result in the completion of the other 18,455 assignments, so how could he finish the details of that catastrophic event while trying to plan a single, special death at 2:55 pm? Matsushima was not a part of the overall plan, and single deaths were _not_ his specialty. JJ specialized in disasters (natural and otherwise), plagues, and in any event that caused mass numbers of deaths. He almost could not comprehend how to plan a single death. What was so unique about this one he wondered. He was a figure skater. And in the public eye. Was that why? As he pondered the possibilities for completing this one assignment, a smile suddenly came across his face. JJ had _SKILLS_ . JJ was the _KING_ . JJ would make this _HAPPEN_. Yes, he thought, it was perfect. He'd give this one a death no one would forget. A golden death, a worthy death, just like the gold medal his assignment had recently acquired.

****

~~~~~~

****

_March 11, 2011, Matsushima, Japan_

****

It was late in the afternoon. Yuuri had arrived in Tokyo earlier, fresh from winning a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in South Korea. Rather than heading home to his family's onsen in Hatsetsu, he was headed to visit his uncle's family who ran an onsen in the Naruko area for a much needed vacation. When the train pulled in the station at Sendai, Yuuri was struck with a sudden idea. He jumped off the train, dragging his meager luggage behind him, and switched to the JR Senseki Line. He had decided to take a detour and visit the famous Matsushima area, thinking to find some inspiration there for his theme for the next season - for his much anticipated senior debut. He was sure he'd come up with something while he was there since the views in Matsushima have always been considered one of Japan's three most scenic views. With his gold medal tucked safely in his luggage, Yuuri was feeling on top of the world, and savouring the fact that next season he'd finally reach his goal of skating on the same ice as his idol and childhood crush, the Living Legend, Viktor Nikiforov of Russia. Finally, he was worthy, he thought. Walking idly through the grounds of the Zuigan-jii Temple, he imagined maybe even getting to speak to his idol during one of the competitions. Contemplating the possibilities and grinning from ear to ear, absolutely nothing could ruin this moment.

But, as he would come to learn, the universe has quite the sense of humour. Dark humour, that is.

~~~~~~

**Junior Gold Medallist Yuuri Katsuki Dead in Japan Earthquake**

The world of skating is in mourning today following the news of the confirmed death of Yuuri Katsuki, 18, in Matsushima following last week's 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan. Katsuki's family released a statement earlier this morning confirming that the skater had been visiting the Zuigan-jii Temple when an aftershock following the earthquake caused a golden sachihoko statute to be shaken loose, falling on Katsuki and killing him instantly.

Katsuki was known as Japan's Junior Ace, rising easily through the junior ranks domestically, and quickly climbing to international fame. Although a late bloomer, his highly difficult step sequences and emotive performances catapulted him to the podium in the junior division, his most recent gold medal at the Junior World Championships a culmination of his achievements to date. Katsuki's raw skill and drive were such that it was widely speculated he would soon be giving Living Legend Viktor Nikiforov a run for his money after his entry into the senior division next season. Sadly, skating fans will be unable to witness this potential rivalry...

****

~~~~~~~

****

**INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION**

_For immediate release_

Media Advisory

**Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Benefit Gala**

****

In honour of 2011 Junior World Champion Yuuri Katsuki (JPN), the International Skating Union (ISU) together with the Japan Skating Federation has approved a traveling benefit gala to raise funds for relief for the survivors of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The World's top skaters in the junior and senior divisions will perform in selected venues in Asia, Europe and North America. The list of skaters and venues can be found at [ www.notreallytheisu.com/2011reliefgalaschedule.pdf ](http://www.notreallytheisu.com/2011reliefgalaschedule.pdf).

Tickets may be purchased at [ www.purchaseyourticketshere.com ](http://www.purchaseyourticketshere.com/).

The ISU thanks all skaters who volunteered to perform. Unfortunately due to the large response, not all skaters who volunteered have been selected.

~~~~~~

****

<image>

**20,544 likes**

**cgiacommetti_official** @thereal-n-vikiforov coming together for a great cause! #ISUJapanreliefgala #wemissyouyuuri #lifeistooshort

View all 9,786 comments

**intoxicatedwithChris** fantastic performance as always tonight! 

**Viknik4ever** love seeing my boys come together

**Icequeen89** such a great cause

**Katsukifan** Yuuri would be so proud  **  
**

 

*************************************************************************************************************

****

~~~~~~ **CHAPTER 1** ~~~~~~

****

_October 18, 2014, Detroit, MI, USA_

Yuuri Katsuki was a reaper. Or, more specifically, a soul reaper.

He remembered that moment with such clarity it took away his breath with a sharp pang every time he thought of it. Somehow, even after more than three long years, the suddenness, the finality of it all never went away. 

> _He stared down at his body, crushed under the heavy golden statue and sighed heavily, thinking of all his hopes and dreams that also now lay crushed under its weight. All his hard work, all his sacrifices gone in a flash. '"It figures,'" he thought, rolling his eyes, '"a dime a dozen death for a dime a dozen skater." Hearing a noise, he looked up to see Yakov Feltsman, coach for the Russian figure skating team rapidly approaching. Blinking in surprise, he bowed deeply out of sheer habit._
> 
> **"** _Hey Katsuki, welcome to the afterlife. JJ was supposed to be here, but with all the assignments he's a bit busy right now." Yakov shook his head slowly, surveying the scene looking contemplative. "Better get you out of here quickly so we can sort you out. Knowing how JJ works, this place is soon going to be a MESS. And no one can see you like this. As far as they're concerned, Yuuri Katsuki is dead."_
> 
> _Before Yuuri had a chance to process anything further, Yakov grabbed his shoulder and there was a slight twist in his guts as the world blurred for a brief second. The next thing he knew he was in a small office facing an older Italian man with a long, thick ponytail. "Hello Yuuri," the man greeted him. I'm Celestino, and I'll be your coach from now on." He chuckled. "Your coach in all things death, that is..."_

"YUUUUURRRRIII!!!!! You look like someone just walked on your grave. What's on your mind?" He never could hide anything from Phitchit, his fellow reaper, roommate and best friend. The man was friendly and upbeat, with a personality that outshone the sun. When they were first introduced by Celestino, he had quickly gotten behind Yuuri's defenses and the two had become fast friends. Despite his youthful appearance of 20 years, Pitchit was much, much older than that. Of course reaper etiquette dictated that one never asked about the age of another reaper so he had no idea just how old Phitchit actually was. Their deaths, though, were known to all. And Yuuri's, with its spectacular irony and Darwin award worthy circumstances, was downright famous much to his chagrin. He had initially thought his death was lame, unremarkable in every way. After all, there was a huge natural disaster and he couldn't even be a part of that. He was so mediocre he wasn't even worthy to share the fate of all the others that died that day. That was before he learned how things worked. That was before he knew how _hilarious_ and _spectacular_ the other reapers found his death. JJ was all too proud of himself and his "skills". Speaking from experience, Yuuri personally thought that JJ's arrogance made his assignments suffer needless humiliation.

Rolling his eyes at his friend's attempt at humour, he muttered, "Phitchit, does it ever fade? The memory, I mean?"

The answer came softly, gently. "No Yuuri, the moment of your death and calling to become a reaper will never become like any other memory and fade over time." Then as Phitchit paused, a cheeky smile formed on his tan face as a piece of black hair fell forward across his forehead. "Besides, Yuuri, your death was so SPECTACULAR, who could EVER forget it? JJ really outdid himself that time! I mean, the way he improvised with you making a spontaneous change in plans...talk about thinking on his feet!"

"I was hit by a statue of a FISH, Phitchit. Only 2 people in Matsushima died and the other was from a heart attack! Why couldn't I have died anonymously and with dignity in the earthquake or the tsunami after like everyone else that JJ had assignments for that day? But nooooooo, JJ just had to show off and make my death _extra_ special. He gets away with everything. I mean, the temple doesn't even _have_ sachihoko statues yet no one thought it was weird at all!"

"Aw come on Yuuri... he even chose a _gold_ statue in homage of your medal. It was a magnificent death, just like your career was magnificent."

"Gee thanks, Phitchit. Make a mockery of my career, just like my mockery of a death. My career amounted to nothing. I didn't even get to skate against Viktor." He thought about all the hard work he'd done to get to that point. The literal blood sweat and tears. His whole goal had been to be able to meet Viktor as an equal. To prove that he was capable. It was strange, he knew, and other people would find it strangely obsessive if they found out. But from the first moment he saw him on a tiny, ancient and grainy TV screen, he'd felt this _pull_ towards Viktor. Oh well, he thought. No use thinking of that now. He was very much dead and Reaper Rule #4 prevented him from contacting anyone he knew while he was still alive. No way was he going to risk Yakov's wrath by violating _that_. He was pulling at his long ponytail as was his habit when he became anxious. Realizing what he was doing, he banished his thoughts of Viktor and gave his hair a final tug, letting the silken black strands spread like a curtain over one shoulder. He needed to focus on the present. Changing the topic, he looked at his watch. "Don't you have to be at school soon? I thought you had Musical Theatre at 3:00?"

"Not today, Yuuri. I cancelled the class this morning after the message from Celestino."

"You got a message too? Why on earth would Celestino call both of us in? I mean, I know you were assigned as my mentor when I was first called, but it's been ages since I was given the green light by Yakov to handle things on my own." Yuuri went back to tugging on his hair while watching Phitchit carefully.

Reclining further on the sofa they were both sitting on, the man just shrugged nonchalantly back at him. "When you've been around long enough Yuuri, you stop questioning the boss. It is what it is and we're just here to maintain the balance of souls between realms. Who knows, maybe we just have to coordinate our assignments so we don't mess each other up."

"I know, I know Phitchit, and you know me, I can't help but worry." The other man eyed him fondly. "It's just lately...I've had this weird feeling. I don't know what it is. Restlessness, maybe? Anticipation? UGH!!!!! Why did I have to keep my anxiety when I died????!!!! Of all the things to leave behind that would have been the one thing I'd have chosen."

"But then Yuuri, you wouldn't be our sweet cinnamon roll would you? Some things are just so much a part of your soul they never change." Phitchit's words were saccharine, designed with the specific intent of getting under Yuuri's skin.

Yuuri glanced over at Phitchit and without a moment's hesitation lobbed a throw pillow at him and launched himself at his friend, tickling him mercilessly. "You will take that back RIGHT NOW!"

~~~~~~

Feeling somewhat mollified after his talk with Phichit, Yuuri walked into Celestino's office fairly relaxed. Then he spied Yakov lurking in the corner and glowering. Yakov was their District Boss, the boss of Celestino, and the highest level of authority on Tir na Beatha (or as they called it informally, the World of the Living). Yakov's presence never meant "good" news. Although he passed on the assignments to Celestino, the only other times he showed up were when a Rule was broken to mete out punishment or grant an exception, or when there was something highly unusual.

Yuuri quickly wracked his brain but couldn't recall any instances where he or anyone else in his unit had broken one of the Reaper Rules. He supposed JJ may have overstepped his authority but JJ, despite his arrogance, always seemed to land just within the Rules. He was a master of pushing the boundaries of the grey areas. Same went for Yurio. Their perpetual teenager fondly known as the "angry kitten" may have a lot of attitude but he never pushed the Rules. _Never_. After witnessing the consequences once, it was rare for a reaper to even test the Rules nevermind contravene them. And Phichit and Mila were model reapers. So that just left a highly unusual circumstance. He swallowed thickly through the lump in his throat.

Now thoroughly wound up, Yuuri took a place opposite to Yakov using the wall to give him added support and nodded weakly to him in acknowledgement. Phitchit, unfazed as usual, threw himself into one of the visitor's chairs and smiled widely. "So, Ciao Ciao, what's the deal this time?"

Celestino gave Phitchit a warning look and cleared his throat. "Reaper Katsuki, I have called you here today to accept an assignment. Before I hand you this assignment I want to remind you of Rules #1 & 2\. Rule #1 - You cannot refuse an assignment. Rule #2 - you must ensure that the assignment ends with the required death. Do you understand me Reaper Katsuki?" The words were spoken with more formality than Yuuri had ever heard from Celestino. And why, after over 3 years he was reminding him of the Rules, Yuuri couldn't fathom...unless this assignment was somehow personal or otherwise difficult.

Yuuri looked quickly at Phichit for support, only to find Phichit staring slack jawed at Celestino. Shit, he thought, this isn't good. Unflappable, dependable Phitchit has been thrown for a loop. Yuuri's anxiety started ramping up to a new level.

"Yuuri," Yakov began as he moved from his corner, `this assignment is going to be particularly difficult for you. I won't lie, although... I'm not surprised about the assignment itself, I was surprised that it was assigned to you in particular. But orders are orders and they cannot be disobeyed no matter how difficult or uncomfortable they are. We called Phichit in today because we think you'll need his support on this one."

"Above all else, Yuuri, remember the consequences. The assignment may be hard, but the consequences are _always_ exponentially worse. You're a solid reaper Katsuki, I trust that you can complete this successfully."

With Yakov's ominous speech complete, Celestino moved to hand him a sealed envelope. As he accepted it he noted with detached thoughts that it looked for all the world like any other assignment. What could be so difficult? All eyes in the room were on him as he shakily opened the seal and freed the piece of paper within.

He looked down at the page and his eyes widened almost comically.

**Viktor Nikiforov,** **9:19 am October 25** **th** **2014, Chicago, Illinois USA**

"Shit."


	2. You Waited For an Answer, Just Need to Let it Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri completes his assignment and Viktor finds himself joining Yuuri in the afterlife.

~~~~~~

****

_October 18, Detroit, MI, USA_

The door of their townhouse slammed shut and Yuuri couldn't hold it in any longer. "PHICHIT!!!!!!! What do I do????" Yuuri was wailing, There was no other word for it. The words were loud, whiny, high pitched and tinged with desperation. How was he supposed to complete his assignment? How could he be responsible for his idol's death at the height of his career?

Sure, there were mumbles in the press. Suggestions and whispers in the multitude of articles written about Viktor in the last year. He's lost his inspiration they whispered...he skates like he's already dead...his soul has lost the fire it once had... But the worst, the absolute worst to Yuuri was the suggestion that he should just retire now that he had 4 years of consecutive gold medals and let the "young" skaters have a chance at a medal. Yuuri knew that the reporters writing these damnable articles failed to realize the artistry that was embodied in Viktor's skating. The beauty and essence that was captured in every glide, every twist of his blade on the ice. Viktor flew across the ice like no other as if he was borne of the ice itself. No one in this generation or several generations to come would so perfectly express the magnificence that just _was_ when the human spirit fused with the ice and created a dance that seemed to take wing. For Yuuri knew that to skate, to dance, on the ice was to fly. To feel your spirit soar and experience freedom unlike you ever could on solid ground. And oh, how he loved the beautiful essence that was Viktor. Viktor with his god-like stature and cerulean blue eyes and silver hair. His heart shaped smile always ready for the press or his fans. And now his assignment was to extinguish that beauty, to down that beautiful skater from flight, and to remove from the world one of the most incredible artists that had ever lived.  ****  
** **

Why, Yuuri thought, Why me? Why must _I_ do this? It's not fair to me or to the world. The world _needs_ Viktor. It needs the inspiration and beauty that was Viktor. The world was becoming such a dark, ugly place that Yuuri couldn't bare the thought of the world without the light that Viktor brought.

After a moment's thought he chuckled deeply...of course it had to be him. This was the will of the universe, and the universe had a perverse sense of humour.

Phichit, sympathetic but unaware of the depth of Yuuri's thoughts, approached him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a supportive hug. "It's ok Yuuri, we'll get through it. I know that Viktor is someone that you've always admired, but everyone has their time at some point. And we both know that the universe demands what it demands. There's no stopping it once it's decided and I know you don't want Viktor to suffer the consequences if you don't complete your assignment." ****  
** **

"I know Phichit, and of course I could never subject Viktor to that...but this is _Viktor_...and he's, h-h-h-h-e-eee's _Viktor_." He turned in his friend's embrace and hid in his shoulder. "Phichit, I'm going to screw this up, just like I screwed up my career!! I can never do anything right, how am I going to give Viktor the death he deserves? And not just him, but a death that his fans and the world - the WORLD, PHICHIT - deserves. How can I do justice to a life that has inspired so many?" Yuuri gave in to the overwhelming emotions of the day and let go a few soft sobs against Phichit's comforting embrace.

"Yuuri, I know that you still have issues with what you left behind in life. And anything that even comes close to mentioning figure skating sends you in a tailspin of insecurity and anxiety. But Yuuri, that isn't you. Reaper Katsuki is one of the most skilled, confident reapers in Tir na Beatha. Reaper Katsuki doesn't let any assignment phase him. He understands and respects the Laws of the Universe and the Rules and he performs his duty with unflinching courage and an attention to detail that cant be matched, despite what JJ tries to say."

Yuuri broke away from Phichit weighing his words, knowing that he only spoke the truth as he saw it.

"Yuuri, if Viktor is all you say he is, then _you_ are the only reaper that can give him a death that is deserving of his life. Only you can make it right for him. No one else understands him enough." ** **  
****

Yuuri turned back to his friend, the rigid posture of his shoulders slowly fading away as he thought through his friend's words. A hesitant, small smile crossed his face. "You're right Phichit, if I can't do it right then no one can. Help me start planning?" ****  
** **

Phichit grinned, knowing that he'd gotten through to his friend. "Ok Yuuri, let's get brainstorming! I'll grab the ice cream!" ****  
** **

~~~~~~

_October 24, 2014_

With a plan in place, Phitchit and Yuuri settled in to watch the men's short program in Skate America, the first qualifier of the Grand Prix Series. They were staying in the official hotel in Chicago to make things easier...and more discrete. Although Yuuri had grumbled about the room price ("But it's a Hilton, Yuuri, what did you expect?"), it really was the best option. Here they would have access to Viktor outside of the public's prying eyes. And there were a LOT of prying eyes with the paparazzi around, so this reap was not nearly as simple as others. And it helped tremendously that Yakov was the man's coach. He was able to provide them with Viktor's schedule and give them an idea of his usual habits and routines during competitions. Not that they couldn't figure it out with their powers as reapers, but having a little more insight never hurt.

Though Phichit wasn't a particular fan of skating, he'd acquired an interest and respect for the sport resulting from his friendship with Yuuri. Today though, even with his limited knowledge, he could tell something wasn't right with the skater. As they watched the six minute warm up he thought Viktor seemed downright lethargic. He gave a mental shrug. What did he know? And it didn't matter anyway. He was an assignment. Getting personal wasn't appropriate. His time was up and that was that. He glanced over to his friend who was eying the screen with a frown on his face.

The skaters exited the rink as the first skater to compete was introduced. Viktor would go fourth tonight. They watched the first three skaters with varying degrees of interest - Phichit more for the entertainment value, while Yuuri excitedly assessed their programs and commented on their growth from the previous season. Phichit understood. After all, Yuuri had skated with these men years before.

Then it was Viktor's turn, and for this Phichit paid more attention. He wanted to assess the man's state of mind, to make sure that there wasn't something there that would hint that he may not follow his usual routine. While Yuuri had things planned out pretty well, Phichit wanted to make sure he was watching out for any signs that might necessitate a change in plans. He wasn't sure if Yuuri could stay emotionally detached enough to accurately assess the situation.  ****  
** **

The music started a moment after he struck his starting pose. The song was upbeat, triumphant and inspirational. It spoke of being the best, of making your mark and being unforgettable. Technically his program was near perfect and far and away the most difficult and best executed of the night. But for the first time he looked almost robotic out on the ice. The movements were precise, but the grace and beauty that was normally woven into Viktor's programs was absent. His program, which was choreographed to an especially emotional piece of music, didn't just feel empty, it felt downright uncomfortable. The joy that should have accompanied the theme of the music never appeared. As he headed to the kiss and cry for his score, Phichit and Yuuri looked at each other in disbelief. ****  
** **

"I don't understand Phichit. What _was_ that? It was like he wasn't even there." Phichit looked over expecting to see Yuuri distraught, and to have to support his friend by calming him down and reminding him to focus. But to Phichit's surprise, Yuuri looked thoughtful as he continued, "Hmmm...now I'm kind of understanding Yakov's remark about not being surprised about the assignment. It seems like Viktor's soul is being pulled elsewhere. I wonder if he's one of the rare ones that has a soulmate and is being pulled into Tir Bheannaithe." A smile crept across his face and his cinnamon brown eyes became somehow warmer at the thought. "Now that is a wonderful thought. Instead of taking him from the world I'll be delivering him to his soulmate." ** **  
****

Phichit rolled his eyes. Yuuri, ever the romantic. But whatever. If that's the theory Yuuri needed to get through this assignment, so be it, he wasn't going to argue. And he had to admit the theory had quite a lot of merit. It wasn't like Yakov to make offhand comments like that. The man _never_ gave out any more information than was absolutely necessary. It was one of his least endearing traits, and that was saying something.

In the end Viktor's technical superiority won over his lacklustre performance and he finished the night in first place, though not by much. Phichit and Yuuri concluded there was nothing they could see that would change their plans.

~~~~~~

**Skate America 2014 general forum**

**Sk8srknifeshoes** well that was unexpected. Nikiforov has lost it

 **Sk8ing4ever** @Sk8rknifeshoes well that's one hell of judgment based on ONE performance

 **MrsVikNik** everyone has an off night

 **sk8R4life** WTF was that? Nikiforov has lost it. He should just retire already

 **Emilshusband** Wow that was awful. Wonder if he'll redeem in the free. But let's talk about Emil...

 **Crispinorules** maybe finally other skater will have a decent chance. Viktor's been on top too long. It's not fair to the others.

 **Sk8ingonacloud** @Crispinorules has a point. Viktor should retire. No one wants to see the same old thing all the time. It's so old now.

 **Skatecritic** Viktors an old man and he's dead. Time for the new

 **Viktormylove** Even I can't defend that skate. He's... done.

~~~~~~

_October 25, 2014, 7:00 am_

Viktor locked his phone and tossed it on the bed. They're right, he thought. All of them. The reporters and the trolls that frequently appeared on his fan sites.

"I'm done," he said aloud. He wondered if it was even worth finishing the competition or if he should just withdraw and announce his retirement. It wasn't fair to the other competitors if he was going to drop out anyway. They needed the opportunity. And he agreed with what he read - it was time. He'd dominated the sport for long enough. He reflected for a few minutes on the effort it had taken to get to this point. On what he had given up to be able to spend his life dedicated to his passion. He had no life outside of skating. The hours he put into practice were brutal - far beyond what most skaters put into their sport. Besides the physical strain those hours placed on his body, and exhaustion, the biggest strain was on his relationships. Aside from his few friends in the sport, like Chris, he had no contact with people that weren't trainers, doctors, physiotherapists or sports psychologists. Literally everything he did was to further his skating in some way. Even his contact with his remaining family had become virtually nonexistent, his parents having died in an accident years ago. They didn't understand his world, his schedule, and they had no desire to. In the end, the only thing he had to look forward to at the end of the day was an empty apartment and his dog, Makka. He loved his dog fiercely, but even she wasn't enough for what he felt was missing in his soul. Â So far he had gotten by with his media smiles, and had developed this persona that was charming, loved and a heartbreaker. Ironic, he thought. He never had enough time to develop a relationship beyond one night stands. He would never be the heartbreaker he was portrayed as - to do that he'd actually have to have captured someone's heart. But because his persona was so successful, no one knew. No one knew the heartache he held inside, the loneliness, the emptiness. They only saw what he wanted them to see - the consummate professional, the happy and fulfilled "Living Legend". Even his coach was fooled, he thought.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday his persona failed him. He couldn't put it on like he put on his costume, and he knew it had shown in his skate. He didn't know why, but somehow he felt that he would never be able to cloak himself with the safety of that persona again. And what was left? A broken man, an empty husk, a slave to the sport who had no more emotion left to pour into his performances. He had nothing left to give.

They were right. He was done. But the competitive spirit in him wouldn't let him walk away after the short program. He would finish the competition. Give the free skate his all and let his audience judge him however they would. With that in mind he texted Yakov.

He sent him links to several articles and fan sites, saying he wasn't going out today at all, not even to practice. Instead he was going to take advantage of the in-room massage service the hotel offered in an attempt to ease not just his muscles but his troubled mind. He assured Yakov that he would clear his mind enough for the free skate and Russia would bring home another medal. Because that was all that he had left to keep him going. His duty to his mother country.

~~~~~~

_October 25, 2014, 7:30 am_

A loud ringtone woke Yuuri and Phichit the next morning. Phichit threw his pillow at Yuuri and complained, "I don't know why you had to choose a klaxon for Yakov, Yuuri. It's scary enough normally but I don't care if we can't die, waking up to a heart attack is beyond cruel!" ****  
** **

Yuuri, never a morning person, ignored Phichit's complaints and scrambled to find his phone, which had fallen on the floor sometime during the night. Flustered he finally accepted the call. Before he could say hello, Yakov shouts could be heard by Phichit who was a good 6 feet away. "Change of plans. I repeat, CHANGE OF PLANS! That idiot spent all night on his phone reading news and social media and now refuses to leave his room today!" ****  
** **

_October 25, 2014, 9:14 am_ ****  
** **

After peering into Viktor's mind, Yuuri had quickly rearranged his plans. Today he would be a massage therapist. He had dressed quickly after Yakov's call and, downing a protein bar, proceeded to stake out Viktor's room. Watching the hotel's therapist come down the hall exactly one minute prior to the appointment, he took immediate action. Moving from his dark corner, Yuuri moved confidently out into the hallway and approached the masseur with a friendly but purposely confused smile on his face. As he approached the man, the masseur's customer service skills automatically came to the forefront as he asked Yuuri if he needed anything.

With the smile firmly plastered on his face, Yuuri allowed his thoughts to invade the other man's. He whispered the suggestion that he didn't have an appointment after all. That he hadn't actually started work yet so he shouldn't be in his hotel uniform. And that he should change into the very comfortable lounge pants and t-shirt that Yuuri was handing him. In perfect harmony with these thoughts, the masseur discarded his uniform, changed into the comfy clothes and returned to the elevator to sit in the hotel coffee shop until his work began.

Yuuri smirked. Sometimes people were WAY too easy. Going back to his dark corner he quickly changed into the masseur's uniform and made his way down the hall. Glancing at his watch he noted that it was now 9:17. He had a scant 2 minutes to ensure that the assignment was completed. Now fully focused, he grinned...plenty of time to do what needed to be done.

Straightening his acquired uniform, he knocked on Viktor's door. No response. That was a bit strange since he was expected. Getting alarmed since the designated time was fast approaching he tried the handle, relieved to find it unlocked. He entered the room cautiously, not wanting to cause alarm and called out, still pretending to be the masseur.

Viktor called out from the bathroom, "Oh I'm in here, give me a minute and I'll be right out!" 

Yuuri replied, "Ok, I'll just get set up in here then." Hearing the sound of water, Yuuri concluded Viktor was in the tub. He walked quietly over to the bathroom and peeked in to confirm his deduction. Sure enough, his assignment was lounging in the tub, seemingly pretending it was larger and more luxurious than it actually was. He spied Viktor's phone sitting on the counter plugged in. "Hmmmm, that will do nicely" he muttered to himself. Not the glorious death he had originally planned, but it would do.

The slight noise made Viktor turn around. His eyes widen and he says "Yuuri? Yuuri Katsuki?" Yuuri squeaked and jumped, not prepared to have been recognized since he looked so different than he had years before. He still had the presence of mind to forcefully knock Viktor's charging phone into the tub before things could go any further awry. With a show of fireworks worthy of the Living Legend, the phone shorted out, sparks flying from the wall. Viktor's body slumped down in the tub. 

Yuuri glanced at his wrist... **9:19 am**. Perfection. As usual.

Death by social media. He deemed it somewhat appropriate seeing as how the man was always posting from his phone.

At the same moment he was congratulating himself on the completion of a difficult assignment, he noticed that Viktor was now standing beside Yuuri - and he was NOT in soul form. Viktor was looking down at his body in the tub. "Yuuri," he said, turning to look at him with wide, astonished eyes, "did you just kill me? ... Seriously, Yuuri, did you just KILL me????"

As Yuuri turned to him, he squeaked for the second time that morning and his eyes widened when as he noticed the new pendant adorning Viktor's neck. What the _fuck_? Viktor's soul was supposed to be drawn to his soulmate in Tir Bheannaithe. He was most certainly NOT supposed to be called. Viktor a reaper? The universe was most certainly playing another cruel joke on him.

Still processing this, his eyes widened further and he sprouted a deep red blush realizing Viktor was standing there buck naked and unashamed. He grabbed the robe Viktor had set next to the tub and quickly covered him, eyes averted. "Well, yes...actually I did. But I had to - I'm a reaper, it's my job."

Before either of them had the opportunity to consider what to do or say next, and like a comedy of errors, Christophe Giacometti burst into the room yelling "Viktor, I don't care if you're naked - your door was unlocked so here I am. Come on let's go, we were due at breakfast 20 minutes ago..." He broke off and stared in shock at the two Viktors, one very much dead, and Yuuri whose death over three years ago had devastated the skating community. "Yuuri? Yuuri Katsuki!!!??? VIKTOR??!!!!???" 

Yakov, having just entered, looked livid, the vein in his temple throbbing with a newfound intensity. He had obviously been trying to chase down Chris to prevent him from entering.

"Great. Now I have to file for an exception. Do you HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH PAPERWORK THIS IS GOING TO MEAN??" He glared at Yuuri but most especially Viktor, dragged the uncomprehending Chris with him as he stormed out the door. "Yuuri, take care of Viktor. You know what needs to be done. And you, Vitya, you have always been a pain in the ass, but really do you have to continue to torment me in the afterlife???"

Yuuri, wincing, placed his hand on Viktor's arm. "Come with me, I know this is a lot to take in, but I'll explain it all later. We need to get out of here _now_."

~~~~~~

**Skating Legend Viktor Nikiforov Found Dead in Chicago Hotel**

The International Skating Federation (ISU) has confirmed that Viktor Nikiforov, 26, was found deceased this morning in his hotel room. At this time the circumstances of his death are unknown. Although Nikiforov's immediate family has pre-deceased him, he leaves behind an extensive family of skaters and skating fans.

Hoping to clinch a fifth consecutive gold in the Grand Prix series, Nikiforov was competing in the first qualifier of the 2014 Grand Prix series, his first competition in this year's season. After a disappointing short program, many are left wondering at the truth behind the skater's state of mind this season...

View all 1024 comments

 **@skatingforever** truly a tragedy for one so young

 **@mrsnikiforov** omg VIKTOR I cant right now. Just cant. the world will never be the same

 **@trplaxelismyjam** sad to hear the news but really his time was up, easy to see in the short

 **@viknik4ever** @trplaxelismyjam OMFG HOW DARE YOU he DIED have some humanity

 **@insideedge** awful news but the way he was yesterday... you have to wonder

 **@viktor4life** I will not survive this. Viktor was my everything and omg poor Makka

 **@goldenblades** wow just WOW. I'm so sorry but NGL wondering how this changes the competition

 **@axelking** going to be nice to see others have a chance at gold compete but NOT at the expense of a LIFE. Not ok people

 **@viktoriloveu** our poor boy I hope he rests in peace  <3

~~~~~~

**Nikiforov's Death Due to Faulty Wiring**

Sources confirm that skating legend Nikiforov died after the GFI outlet in his hotel suite failed to trip when the charging unit to his phone came in contact with water. Nikiforov was well known for his social media presence and had in fact been active on his account moments before his death.

Hotel representatives state that they were unaware that the wiring was not up to code and are considering legal action against the contractors who installed the alleged faulty wiring.

Meanwhile, the competition continues tonight with the men's free program...

View all 562 comments

 **@inside edge** glad to hear it wasn't his state of mind. He would have come back strong in the free

 **@viktoriloveu** more reason to teach our children to put their phones down. RIP Viktor!

 **@goldenblades** umm not to be insensitive but does that mean he was in the bath?

 **@viktor4life** YES!!!! @goldenblades YESSSS!!! I live for this

 **@axelking** wtf @viktor4life that is seriously...creepy. Just. creepy.

 **@skatefan** I hope they sue their @ss!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult.
> 
> Song Viktor skated to was "History Maker"
> 
> Chapters get longer from here on out. Next chapter (will post Tuesday) is very heavy on info explaining how everything works so Viktor (and the readers) can understand what's going on. Chapter 4 goes on to plot progression and Chapter 5... you will kill me until Chapter 6 comes out


	3. All This Time I was Finding Myself, And I Didn't Know I Was Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the set up chapters - lots of info in this one. 
> 
> Chapter title - lyrics from Avicii, "Wake Me Up"
> 
> Thanks for the wonderful comments - they make my day!

~~~~~~ ** **  
****

Yuuri dragged a strangely quiet Viktor back to his and Phichit's room, taking great care not to be seen. He wasn't worried about the security cameras; after all, he was an expert by now at causing the images the cameras streamed to freeze for the moment he passed. He knew the security tapes wouldn't catch them. As they walked, Yuuri's arm firmly grasping Viktor's elbow, he glanced over at the other man.

He looked...somehow calm. Relieved maybe? Amused even? That was strange, Yuuri thought. He should be confused as hell and angry to boot. After all, he'd just died before being able to complete a major competition. And in front of his best friend no less. And... he knew Yuuri was responsible for his death. He gave himself a mental shake. They'd have plenty of time to talk about things once they got to the room.

As they rounded the corner of the corridor, Yuuri spotted Phichit, standing slightly in the hall with the door open and giving Viktor an appraising look. "Yakov texted," he said, shaking his head. "He's not too happy with the exception. Not sure what the plan is for Viktor yet, Yakov's too busy taking care of paperwork."

As the trio entered the room, Viktor spoke up for the first time since they'd been interrupted by Chris and Yakov. "Yuuri - why were there two of me? I kind of get that you killed me because you're a reaper, so, um, no hard feelings I think, but this isn't really what I'd imagined happens when you die."

Yuuri let out a long breath, one that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. This was much, much better than he'd anticipated. "Well Viktor, you left your physical body behind when you died. You see the pendant around your neck?" At Viktor's nod, Yuuri continued. "Only reapers wear those. It means that when you died, you received the call to become a reaper, just like I did. So, um, welcome to the afterlife I guess."

"Um...ok... let's park the reaper thing for now...I uh...need to think about that a LOT... but what about Makka? She's downstairs with the groomers right now. Can I take Makka to wherever we're going?" Good, Yuuri thought. He was thinking through the situation, which was encouraging. He'd heard of reapers who went crazy when called because they just couldn't accept their new situation and the truth of the universe. They tended to become specialists and were mostly avoided by other reapers. Not that anyone really befriended a specialist...they were specialists for a reason and all had rather _unique_ personalities. From everything Yuuri remembered about Viktor from his fanboy days, his dog was the most important thing in his life. Asking about him now showed he was still rational and aware of the implications behind his new existence. As much as he could be without an explanation at any rate.

"I'm not sure...normally when you become a reaper, you have to cut all ties with everything from life. That's Rule #4, which I will explain later. But since Yakov has to make an exception for Chris, there may be a small chance. We'll have to wait and see what Yakov's orders are." Yuuri sighed. "Sit down, Viktor, I'll see if I can find you some clothes." Seeing the man settle into a chair by the desk, Yuuri moved to his luggage to see if he could muster something for the taller man to wear. Phichit, always sociable, proceeded to jump on his bed and natter cheerily to Viktor. ** **  
****

"So, Viktor, you must know Yuuri here was a figure skater. He's been a fan of yours f-o-r-e-v-e-r!!! He'd just won gold when he was called, you know! His death is _famous_ among reapers. JJ pulled out all the stops to make sure our precious Yuuri went out with a bang!" ** **  
****

"PHICHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yuuri squealed. He actually squealed. Bright red, he turned to Viktor who looked back with an amused smile on his face, and looking distinctly smug for some unknown reason. Yuuri threw a pair of track pants and a soft t-shirt at Viktor and practically shouted, "Ok go change!! ...These will be a little small, but they will do for now." Viktor smirked and rose from the chair with a lithe, almost cat-like motion. He walked past Yuuri making his way to the bathroom, and as he passed Yuuri he ran his hand along his arm. "Sure Yuuri, but I want to hear more later about how you were such a fan of mine." With a smile that should be illegal and a wink he was suddenly gone, the bathroom door closing with a small click.

Yuuri groaned and closed his eyes. He muttered to Phichit in a small voice, "I can't die again if I'm already dead, can I? Please, Phichit, tell me I can die again so I don't have to deal with this!" Phichit snorted from the bed, not moving from his reclined and utterly relaxed posture. "No, Yuuri, you're stuck for at least another 47 years, and let me tell you, these are going to be the most _fun_ 47 years I've had yet in the afterlife if that's all it takes to make the almighty reaper Katsuki turn into a little puddle of drool."

Something about Phichit words threw a switch for Yuuri. He was not the insecure mess he'd been in life. He was a reaper. He was... death itself. He maintained the balance of souls for the universe and he did so with pride and skill no one could deny. The last three years had shown him so many of life's truths. So much that his own issues were rendered insignificant, though they had certainly been significant to him while he was living, and rightly so. Yes, he still had his anxiety but it was different now. Now he knew better, he WAS better. His childhood crush on Viktor was literally a lifetime ago. He refused to be embarrassed for what happened in life. What has happened in his afterlife reflected his true self, his soul. While the living will never know of his accomplishments, he didn't need that praise to understand his value.

At that moment Viktor exited the bathroom, dressed in Yuuri's too small clothes. "Well, they'll do for now, I guess. I may look a little silly but not completely ridiculous. So where were we?"

Yuuri settled down on his bed and gestured for Viktor to take his previous chair. Once Viktor settled Yuuri started the much needed explanation.

****"O**** k, Viktor, as I said before, you are a reaper now. A soul reaper. You are dead and in the afterlife but not the typical afterlife. I'm not going to tell you everything now because there's too much, but I will tell you enough so you can understand the basics. So this is how it is..."

****"**** We reapers maintain the balance of souls in the Universe. We do this in accordance with the Laws of the Universe and we obey the Rules. _STRICTLY_ obey, Viktor, remember that even if you don't remember anything else I tell you now. So anyway, right now it feels like you have a physical body, and in some ways you do. You have to eat, shower, sleep...everything you had to do when you were alive, and believe me you'll stink if you don't shower. But you have no heartbeat, injuries won't kill you, and even starvation won't kill you - it'll just make you really ugly and weak and your hair will fall out."

At that he had Viktor's full attention and his hand went automatically to the crown of his head. Yuuri rolled his eyes. Figured, Viktor had to be threatened with going bald before he'd take what he was told seriously. The man was known within skating circles for his histrionics, even if he somehow managed to hide that side of his personality from the press.

"Maybe I'll start with the Rules. They're more concrete, and probably easier to understand at first. So there are five rules:

First, a reaper cannot turn down an assignment.

Second, a reaper must ensure every assignment ends in the required death.

Third, a reaper cannot cause any death other than assigned deaths.

Fourth, a reaper must cut ties with everything and everyone from life and absolutely cannot communicate with anyone known during their last lifetime.

And finally, the fifth one - a reaper cannot tell anyone living they are a reaper, about their special skills or about the different realms or role of reapers.

As you can probably guess, Chris's appearance interfered with rules four & five. I don't know yet what Yakov has managed with exceptions, so we'll discuss Chris later when we have more info from Yakov."

"Yuuri - what does Yakov have to do with all this?" Viktor had a deep frown as if this was _the_ most important question.

"He's our District Boss. Each of us belong to a unit. A unit is usually made up of 4-6 reapers, a specialist and a Unit Boss. Phichit and I are in the same unit. Our Unit Boss is Celestino - you haven't met him yet. District Bosses usually supervise 4 units, but it can be more if the units are small. It's sort of all decided by the population the units are responsible for. So anyway, Yakov, your coach, is a District Boss, meaning he's our boss's boss. We all have real jobs, and interact with the living, and right now Yakov's job is coaching figure skating."

"So, if I have this right, Yakov is dead, correct? And he's the equivalent of a mafia boss in the afterlife?"

"Well, I wouldn't quite put it like that, but yes, that's kind of what it boils down to. Yakov receives the highest orders and is in charge of all discipline. The rest of us follow his orders and don't ask questions. And Viktor, _we DON'T ASK QUESTIONS._ The orders he receives are absolute. To question those orders is to question the universe, and if there's anything I've learned in the last three years, it's that you never want to do _that_."

Viktor cocked his head to the side, "It all makes sense now. How Yakov is at practice, I mean. So it really will be no different than my regular training then. Though honestly I tend to only listen to him when I agreed with him."

"OMG Viktor! You CAN'T do that now!!! He is seriously the highest there is in Tir na Beatha. I'll get into the punishments/ consequences sometime later but you do NOT want to do a stint in Tir Cra! Speaking of which, I'm getting ahead of myself...maybe I should explain the realms. There are four realms: Tir na Beatha, Tir Bheannaithe, Tir Cra and Riochta Siorai. Tir na Beatha is what we refer to as the World of the Living. It's where we are now. It's literal meaning is "country of life".

"Tir Bheannaithe is what you would think of as heaven. It's where most souls go to wait their next life, and it's a realm of pure joy. It's translation is "blessed country". It's opposite is Tir Cra, meaning "country of torment" I don' think I need to go into much explanation on that one - it's pure hell. Some souls end up there before starting their new lives." ****

"The final realm is Riochta Siorai which roughly translates to "eternal kingdom". We don't know much about that realm. We sort of know that's where Yakov's orders come from, but we don't ask. We think that's also where Yakov goes when he disappears now and then, but again, we don't ask. It doesn't come into our daily lives since souls don't travel there in between lives, and quite frankly, it's above our pay grade. We don't need to know. And trust me when we say we don't WANT to know.

"So now our role in this whole thing. Which is now your role too. We reapers keep the balance of the universe, the balance of souls. There are three Laws of the Universe, and we are charged with keeping the first and most important - the Law of Conservation of Souls. The Law of Conservation of Souls states that souls cannot be created nor destroyed. That means that on the Wheel of Transmigration souls cycle from life to life, being born, dying, and being born again. In between lives they spend time in either Tir Bheannaithe or Tir Cra, depending on the quality of their soul. That involves another Law we can get into later. So when it's someone's time, we reapers get an assignment. We arrange their death so their soul can join the wheel and await the next phase of its existence. By doing this we maintain the balance of souls and carry out the will of the universe. Some of the living call it fate. But whatever you call it, I assure you the will of the universe is a very tangible thing to a reaper. And no matter what, you do NOT want to cross it."

"So we exist outside the wheel? How does that work?" Yuuri noted that Viktor was taking everything in with surprising ease. He had been expecting more panic and interruptions in general. After all, when he was called he could barely stay silent with his internal screaming and multitude of questions. And that was despite the incredibly intimidating presence of Yakov who had been there at his calling.

"Yes. When a reaper is called we stay in Tir na Beatha in this sort of state of flux we call the afterlife. We are not human, not alive, but not in true soul form either. And as you can see we keep the physical attributes of our last living existence, although we are able to adjust our physical appearance somewhat, including age, but we are limited to an appearance that would have been possible during our last life. Oh another thing, reapers cannot move from realm to realm, though if we break a Rule we can be sent to Tir Cra as punishment."

"So the fun part... we have special powers, or skills as we call them."

"WOW!! REALLY????" Viktor was practically jumping up and down in his chair and he looked nothing like the four time World Champion he was. At that moment he looked for all the world like a 5 year old who has just been told they're getting a new toy. "Can I fly? How cool would it be to fly? Can we turn invisible? Is that how you got us here without being seen Yuuri? Can we freeze things? Do we have special names? My superhero name could be Ice King! Or can we turn into animals? I've always wanted to be a dog, can you imagine how fun it would be to play in the park and chase after sticks all day?"

At this point in Viktor's rambling, Phichit was rolling around on the bed consumed with laughter and Yuuri's brain had stopped working. Trying to bring things back on track, Yurri interrupted, "No, no, no. Nothing as spectacular as all that."

Phichit gasped out, "Ice King...a dog...invisible...an invisible dog!!! Oh my word, Yuuri you're going to have your hands full with this one!"

"ME??? Why do you think I'm going to be responsible for him? If he's even in our unit, it will be you, you're the senior!"

"Just a hunch. After all, he was your assignment and that can't be coincidence, right? You know how the universe tends to work Yuuri." Phichit was starting to calm down but was still giggling. Viktor just pouted at being laughed at.

A loud rough voice interrupted their bantering as Yakov finally arrived. "Yes, he's in your unit, and yes, Katsuki, he's your responsibility. Good luck with that, I've never had success getting him to listen to anything I say. The boy always does his own thing." He turned to Viktor then and his face softened imperceptibly. "Vitya, you're done skating. You can't go back to any rink now, you're too recognizable. I know you were really struggling this year to find your inspiration on the ice, so maybe it's best this way." He cleared his throat, any hint of a softer emotion instantly gone.

"Ok boys, here's how it's going to work. I got the exception for Chris. It was decided that it would be too hard to try and modify his memory, as it would require too much change with the trauma he experienced and how much he saw, so it could damage his soul. You'll have to bring him into the fold. I've already explained the Rules to him and unlike some ungrateful whelps, I'm confident he will obey the Rules. I've arranged for him to take Makka - NO, Viktor, DO NOT INTERRUPT. EVERYONE knows about your dog and it would be too obvious if you take him. Maybe in six months or so but for now he is staying with Chris. You can visit. You will be a part of Celestino's unit out of Detroit with Phichit and Yuuri. There are three other reapers in your unit - Yurio, Mila and JJ who is the unit's specialist. Yuuri will be your mentor. You will live with him at least until you are on your feet. Celestino is making arrangements for your stipend, but you will need to find a job sooner or later. Now I'll be off. I need to go deal with the press and the fall out from your death. Oh, and Katsuki - don't forget to explain the Law of Magnetism. Something tells me you're both going to become awfully familiar with it." He chuckled quietly to himself as he left.

"WHHHAAAAATTTT????!!!" Despite his earlier resolution not to become flustered, that last statement had him staring gape mouthed at the back of the door. He looked over at Phichit who returned the look with wide eyes then fell back on the bed dissolving in giggles once more. "Oh Yuuri, the universe _definitely_ has a sense of humour, especially when it comes to you." He sat back up, taking a deep breath to calm himself down, "Ok, I'm, going to leave you with your _ice puppy_ and get us all some coffees from downstairs. Be back in a few!"

Yuuri turned back to Viktor. "Ok, first I need to straighten you out about our skills. All our skills are related to our role - they make it possible to complete our assignments. So, we can move objects, like telekinesis, manipulate electronics and electrical signals, control and manipulate human illness and diseases - things like pneumonia, heart attacks, cancer... we can plant suggestions in people's minds or modify memories. This last one can only be used to complete an assignment or to make sure that our presence or activities are kept secret. Viktor, get that look off your face! Do you have any idea what Yakov would do to you if he caught you abusing that skill????  We can also sort of teleport, for lack of a better word. If necessary for a special assignment, we can teleport to anywhere within 10km of an assignment. That's mainly for things like those annoying scientific expeditions to Antarctica or say someone dies on Mt. Everest. Or emergency situations, but thankfully those don't come up that often. Specialists have additional skills. They can control large geographic features, weather and large groups of animals or people to create natural disasters and plagues."

"Ok, Yuuri, I think I'm following you so far, but what are specialists exactly?" Viktor looked a little disappointed at the list of special skills, but at least he was absorbing all the information. Yuuri had been starting to get worried he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Specialists take care of, um, sensitive assignments. I guess that's the best way of putting it. They usually have some sort of skill...aptitude...mentality...that makes them best suited for certain deaths. The specialties generally are: war, natural disasters, plagues, children under 16 and any other sort of mass death. JJ, the specialist in our unit, specializes in wars, natural disasters and plagues. He was the one that caused the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. And my own death too actually. So there's an example, since he can control large groups of people, he made sure that no one was around when I died. Apparently everyone in Matsushima but me had the idea to take shelter as soon as the earthquake hit, so I was the only one affected by the aftershock. Anyway, the rest of us don't have to worry about those assignments. As a perk, specialists don't get as many assignments as we do and get a higher stipend. But they are all a little...crazy? Disturbed? Like JJ, he's convinced he's a king or something. We avoid them as much as possible. The rest of the reapers in our unit are a pretty tight bunch though." A thought crossed Yuuri's mind and he started laughing. "Just wait till you meet Yurio. We call him our angry kitten. So now we have an angry kitten and an ice puppy!!!!!"

"Yuuuuuuri! Don't be so mean! How can you blame me for getting excited about special powers?? After all, this is so cool. There's an afterlife!" Viktor was sitting with his arms crossed and his best pout across his features. Maybe ice puppy was just the right name for him after all.

"Sorry Viktor, I couldn't resist. But I'll give you fair warning, knowing Phichit, that nickname is going to stick. So I haven't covered everything, but that's a lot to start with. Do you have any questions so far?"

A small smile quirked at the corner of Viktor's mouth. "So many questions for you, Yuuri. But um, first, what did Yakov mean by the Law of Magnetism? You seemed taken aback by it? Disturbed? It got a reaction out of you anyway."

"U-u-u-ummm. Yeah. That. Um. Well, that's really um, more _advanced_ knowledge. You really don't need to know anything about that right now. And um, I think Yakov was just trying to get a reaction out of me, so yeah, let's not worry about that right now."

Viktor gave him a pointed look but evidently decided to let it go, much to Yuuri's relief. He still didn't know what to do with Yakov's comment never mind trying to explain it to Viktor. Yakov's implication confirmed Yuuri's earlier theory that Viktor's soul was being pulled by his soulmate...only Yakov seemed to be implying that had something to do with _Yuuri_. No way was he ready to think about what that might mean. ****

"Ok then Yuuri, why don't you tell me _all_ about you?" He paused, slowly looking Yuuri up and down. Yuuri refused to squirm under Viktor's gaze, even though he was pretty sure Viktor was checking him out. He had to admit, he was pretty proud of his physique. As a dancer, he'd managed to keep all the lean muscle he had had as a skater. "I see you've become quite the impressive figure, and I like your hair long like that." Yup, confirmed. This man was an incorrigible flirt. "So, what have you been doing for the last 3 years? You know...I was looking forward to facing you on the ice. I know we never met, but everyone was devastated when you died. I mean, is it ok to talk about it? You and Phichit mentioned your death earlier, but it's not some kind of reaper faux pas is it?"

"No, no. In our unit we all know about each other's deaths. And I guess mine was in the news for some reason so it's pretty widely known even outside our unit. I mean I don't know why they had to report on that when there were so many other people that died that day. Not like I was worthy of any special note, and I think it was disrespectful to the others. But anyway, speaking of faux pas, there is one you should know. Never, ever, ask a reaper's age. The older ones get really snippy. Especially Mila when you meet her. I don't know how old she is but Yurio calls her "old hag" now and then and it sometimes ends in a full out brawl."

Shifting topics back to Viktor's original question, he continued, "I'm actually a dancer now. Ballet was my first love, before skating. Although I do a lot of other styles as well. Right now I'm managing a dance studio in Detroit. It's closely affiliated with the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State. Phichit teaches musical theatre there and Celestino is the associate dean. Mila is enrolled there in an undergrad program, I guess just for the fun of it. I also do choreography for music videos now and then."

"It's more than "now and then" Yuuri! Viktor, don't let him fool you, he's quite in demand for his choreography." Phichit walked in then, handing out their coffees. "I don't know how you like it Viktor, so I brought lots of cream and sugar.

Taking his coffee, Yuuri retorted, "Yeah but we're so busy with reaper work I only accept now and then so you can't say that I do a lot of it! Besides, Minako keeps me plenty busy. She's adding so many dance styles to the class schedule I'm going to have to hire a new instructor soon."

Phichit looked over at Viktor and wriggled his eyebrows in a comical attempt at being suggestive. "You should ask Yuuri all about what kinds of styles he teaches. I'm sure he'd love to give you a demonstration in some of the more... _eclectic_ styles."

Yuuri sighed as Viktor broke out in delighted laughter. It was time to get back to business. "Ok Phichit, that's enough. We need to get back on schedule here. Let's pack up and come up with a way of getting Viktor out of here without anyone being the wiser. There's only so much we can do with our skills, and with the number of reporters it's going to be quite the feat." Yuuri turned and looked at Viktor appraisingly. "You'll have to change your looks, you're much too recognizable like this. How about aging yourself a lot older? You can go back to younger when we get home. So to do that, just concentrate on an age. Maybe 55? Control your breathing, close your eyes and visualize how you would look at 55."

Viktor's form morphed slowly as he followed the instructions. His hair became shorter (and thinner, but Yuuri wasn't going to mention that). His skin was more leathery, and he had a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth. He opened his eyes, bright blue and twinkling. Yuuri could see he was going to be a handful. The other man was enjoying this altogether too much.

"Perfect," Phichit said, nodding in approval. "We'll get you a hat and no one will look twice."

~~~~~~

After making their way through back passages of the hotel and down to the parking garage, they made it out of the city without being noticed. It was about a four and a half hour drive to Detroit. Without his phone and not able to use his social media accounts, Viktor was bored. When he wasn't sleeping, Phichit filled the silence with stories about his and Yuuri's friends. Soon, he and Viktor were fast friends, much to Yuuri's relief - not that anyone could ever not like Phichit. If he was going to be part of their unit, and their temporary roommate, it was essential they get along. As Yuuri sat listening to the two he began to see a different side to Viktor. One that was never in the media, and that he'd never really heard about when he was a skater. This Viktor had a wicked sense of humour, teasing Phichit with a wit that spoke of a high intelligence. Yet he also seemed to be a deeply caring person, expressing empathy with some of Phichit students and their struggles.

But what he noticed most was the wistful look that crossed his face more than once when Phichit was telling him about their friends and their antics. Yuuri wondered if he was lonely. Out of respect for the man, he had avoided looking into Viktor's emotions and private thoughts when he was planning his death since it hadn't been necessary. But...Viktor lonely? He would have never considered that before. After all, Viktor was always surrounded by people. Everyone wanted a part of Viktor, to be in his life somehow. But he supposed anything was possible. He himself had never experienced fame like Viktor's, so how would he know?

As they approached the townhouse, Yuuri noticed the lights were on already. "Oh good, looks like Celestino is here. I wonder if he brought Yurio too. It will be good to introduce you!" They parked in the garage and made their way to the main living space. Celestino was sitting comfortably at the dining table, and Yurio was standing in the middle of the room.

"Yuuri, who's the kid? Is it ok that he sees me?" Viktor was whispering, trying to be subtle. Yuuri realized he had forgotten to mention to Viktor that Yurio looked the part of a very angry blond Russian teenager.

"Little kid???? Hey old man, watch your mouth. I'm Yurio. Yuuri, what's the geezer's issue?"

Yuuri and Phichit just laughed, Phichit ruffling the blond's hair as he passed him. "This is the smol angry kitten we were telling you about earlier."

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT PHICHIT!"

"Yurio, settle down. Viktor, come and sit with me. We have some details to go over." Celestino patted the chair beside him. Viktor moved over to where Celestino had indicated while Phichit and Yuuri put their coats away and got comfortable on the couch. Celestino explained the monthly stipend all reapers got, gave him a credit card and bank card for his new bank account and set him up with a new phone. "Data on the phone is unlimited, and don't worry about the bill. It's necessary for reapers to communicate, so it's considered part of the monthly stipend. We've kept your first name Viktor to make it less confusing for you, but changed your last name, your age, and other vital statistics. You are now 20 years old, so you'll have to change your appearance. We thought it would be a good idea to change your age so you would be less recognizable. Until Yuuri here, we'd never had a reaper who had been in the public eye. No offence, but it's a pain in the ass making sure that Rules 4 & 5 aren't broken with you two. Obviously we've already failed with your buddy Chris now in the mix. Ok, so let's talk about your appearance. First change to what you actually looked like at 20."

They all watched while he changed from his 55 year old form to his 20 year old self. Looking frustrated, Celestino said, "That won't do at all. You look too much the same as when you died. We can't make you too much younger or older than Yuuri though or he won't be able to mentor you properly without it being suspicious since you have to live together. And there was also that thing that Yakov mentioned about - "

"Ok, that's enough of that topic, Ciao Ciao!" Yuuri interrupted, "Viktor why don't you try with shoulder length hair. You've never worn it that length for any period of time. I know you had long hair until you were 17 but you looked a lot younger then. Longer hair and an older face should be enough to mask your identity. Oh, maybe also increase your weight a little above a competitive weight. That will fill out your cheeks a bit."

"Ok then, Yuuri, if that's what you think is best," Viktor replied, "after all as my fan I'm sure you know me the best, right." With his trademark wink and a grin, he transformed again. Celestino nodded his approval at the change. "Yes, with the added weight you look different enough that the general public shouldn't recognize you, but you'll have to avoid traveling to areas where people knew you personally. At least for the next 5 to 10 years."

Meanwhile, Yuuri and Phichit were in the midst of some silent exchange and giving each other funny looks. "What????? You said this would be the best idea Yuuri," asked Viktor, obviously offended.

The two friends burst out laughing. Yuuri, recovering first said, "Oh don't worry, _Fabio_ , no one will recognize you as Viktor."

At that Phichit and Yuuri looked back at each other and cried out in unison, "I can't _believe_ it's not butter!"

Viktor's eyes narrowed, and sparkled mischievously. "Oh, I'm not letting the two of you get away with that. Just you wait, when the opportunity presents itself I _will_ pay you back in full!" He flipped his hair over his shoulder and turned back to Celestino, feigning offence. He wasn't going to let on, but he was secretly pleased to be the object of their teasing. He'd always wondered what it would be like to have friends close enough to engage in the easygoing banter that Phichit and Yuuri so obviously enjoyed. He may have been disappointed with his death at first, but he didn't feel sad about it now. And not angry either. No, for the first time in a long time, he felt a warmth spreading across his chest. He was looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brought. The afterlife, he thought, was turning out to be a very good place indeed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is of course more stuff that still needs to be explained, but that will come as we go...
> 
> Next up: Plot progression! Viktor shadows Yuuri during an assignment, goes shopping with Mila and discovers public transit. Hilarity ensues :)


	4. Away From All of Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title is from Ruth B.'s "Lost Boys" - Viktor realizes he's now part of Yuuri's family of lost boys.
> 
> I'll do trigger warnings whenever there's a reap... just in case. They won't be graphic as this is intended to be funny - this one is as graphic as they get.
> 
> Trigger warning: choking 
> 
> If anyone has any requests, let me know!

**~~~~~~**

****

**ChrisDaMan**

 

Chris it's me Viktor

You know Nikiforov

Well not Nikiforov now but you know

This is my new number

Ok Viktor not Nikiforov

Yakov said you'd text when you could

How...are you?

Ok

Better than ok I think

Good

It's just...weird

But I think things are going to be good

How's Makka?

Well yeah duh

I mean seeing two of you...

That was a trip

And she's good

I know you'll take good care of her

Yeah sorry :(

For me too

And there's just *so* much now

I bet

Are you allowed to talk about it?

Some I think

Still figuring out what the rules are

Don't let me get you into trouble

But are u ok?

That must have been weird

Seeing me like that

...

Well

I won't lie. I still have nightmares

But it's ok

I know you're ok

You didn't seem hurt?

No. I'm fine

Yuuri did a good job.

I think? I dunno have to figure out this new job

I start by training

Kind of a job shadow

With Yuuri

With Yuuri huh?

That should make it better

(*・艸・)

Shuddup

It's business

For the new job

But seriously

Who'd have thought

I never thought I'd see him again

Remember the gala?

Who could forget that

Everyone was so upset

I've never seen everyone come together like that

Does he know?

Idk.

Not like there's been time to talk

About things like that

I suppose not

I still can't believe ur not coming back

I'm not ok with that

I still need to kick your ass

☚(ﾟヮﾟ☚)

Laughing so hard right now

But actually you might have done it this year

I didnâ€™t have it in me

I think I was done

(⌣_⌣”)

Viktor...

It's fine Chris

I'm over it

And looking forward to seeing how far u will go

Viktor

...

(•̀o•́)ง

 **** ~~~~~~

****

The next morning Yuuri received a message from Celestino asking him to meet him in his office first thing. "Wow, another assignment already, that's unusual."

 

"What do you mean? I thought that's what you did everyday." Viktor looked at him curiously.

 

"No, definitely not everyday. Some of the assignments take a lot of planning. And reapers would burn out too fast. I guess those are some things I haven't explained yet. All reapers have a quota they have to meet. There's a certain number of assignments that are completed every year. And you can't get out of them - you can't trade assignments and you can't let another reaper complete your assignment. All regular reapers like us have the same quota - or you will once you've been given the ok to start accepting assignments. Specialists do not have set quotas, both because a single event could have thousands of assignments, and because some of them take a long time to plan. Unit bosses also have quotas, but they're a lot lighter than ours. And as far as I know, District bosses don't have quotas or assignments. They receive them and pass them to the unit bosses after reviewing them for anything unusual. Following so far?"

 

At Viktor's nod he continued, "So since I had your assignment yesterday, it would usually be a few days or even weeks before I'd get another one. This is the first time I've gotten one the next day. Not that it's a big deal, it's just not usually that frequent. Could just mean I'll get a longer break sometime in the future. But really, it's a good thing since you can start learning right away. Now, the other thing I haven't mentioned yet is that you are bound to the afterlife as a reaper for the next 50 years. Any time after that you can choose to retire. Once your retirement is accepted - Yakov does the paperwork - you will return to the Wheel, being drawn to either Tir Bheannaithe or Tir Cra and at some point reborn." ****

 

"Do a lot of reapers retire right at 50 years?" Viktor asked.

 

"Not that I know of, but since we don't talk about our ages, I don't really know what the numbers would be. I think for some the work is emotionally draining and 50 years is more than enough. Also there's probably some that just miss living. For others, it's fulfilling knowing that you play such an important role in the universe."

 

"And how about you, Yuuri, how do you feel about it?"

 

Yuuri beamed, breaking into a huge smile. "Well, I don't know when I'll burn out, but right now I can honestly say this is the best path for me." His smile dimmed somewhat as he continued, "Shortly after I was first called, there was an incident, and there were _consequences_ , and I had to help clean up the situation. Or I tried to help. It took a little while to recover after that, but after I recovered, instead of being scared or horrified, I became completely focussed. At the moment I saw the will of the universe, I understood just how important reapers are. After that, I vowed to live up to the trust that the universe has placed in me by calling me as a reaper. I take a lot of pride in carrying out my duties, and as a result I've found a sense of fulfillment and happiness I didn't think possible." ****

 

"But enough of my rambling, let's get going. Ciao Ciao does not appreciate tardiness and I don't need a lecture first thing in the morning!"

 

Before Viktor could ask more, especially about the _consequences_ he kept hearing about, Yuuri was pulling him out the door and yelling to Phichit that they'd be back later. ****

 

On their way over, Viktor contemplated what Yuuri had told him. Yuuri positively glowed when he talked about being a reaper. He remembered hearing about the younger skater when he was still alive and skating. He had particularly paid attention since so much was being made about a potential "rivalry" once Yuuri moved to seniors. And what he'd heard about the younger skater painted a picture of a kid riddled with anxiety, shy and without confidence. A skater who was inconsistent because of these issues, but when he pulled himself together performed with a beauty and precision some said was greater than Viktor himself, even at the junior level. This image was certainly a lot different than the Yuuri now before him. This man was confident, outgoing and unafraid. Rather than hide from things, he seemed to embrace challenges head on, knowing that nothing would stop him. Viktor looked forward to getting to know him better. And maybe as a reaper he'd find the piece of himself that was missing in life, just like Yuuri had seemed to have done.

 

Minutes later, Yuuri and Viktor entered Celestino's office on the Wayne State campus.

****

"Ciao Ciao!" Celestino greeted them enthusiastically as they came through the door. "Thanks for coming in, this should only take a minute. I reviewed it and it looks pretty straight forward. Perfect introduction for Viktor actually. I don't imagine you'll have any questions, Yuuri, but let me know."

****

"Ok, thanks Celestino," Yuuri replied, opening the envelope that Celestino handed him and quickly scanning the contents. "Yup, as you said, straightforward."

****

Celestino leaned back in his chair and nodded. Turning his attention to Viktor he asked, "So is everything going ok? Tired of Yuuri and Phichit's antics yet? The two of them can be quite, shall we say _energetic_ when they get going."

****

"Celestino!" Yuuri protested indignantly. "You make us sound like we're evil gremlins or something."

****

Celestino and Viktor both laughed. "Don't worry Viktor, those two may be pretty raucous at times but they'll always have your back. Any other questions you have so far? I know Yuuri has been filling you in, but it's quite a shock when you're first called. You seem to be taking it in stride. Unlike Yuuri here who started by screaming at everyone that he had to get back to compete in one last season, then wouldn't shut up for a week with constant questions and then followed that up with another week's worth of anxiety attacks."

****

"CELESTINO!!!!! What is it, attack Yuuri day!?!? Viktor does NOT need to hear about my early days!"

****

Celestino chuckled. "Sorry Yuuri, I couldn't help myself. It's too easy to get under your skin sometimes. But seriously, Viktor, how are you feeling about things? As much as I was teasing Yuuri, his reaction was typical - most new reapers are upset that they died, and overwhelmed with all the new information."

****

Viktor shrugged, not sure how to answer the question. "Well, I guess Yuuri is taking pretty good care of me as far as helping me sort out how the afterlife works. And Phichit has helped me feel right at home in the townhouse. As for being upset about dying, I don't know that I was that attached to my life as it was. This... it feels like something new, a new adventure or something. To be honest, after hearing Yuuri talk about it, I'm a little excited about what's to come." 

****

Yuuri eyed Viktor speculatively but held his tongue. This was not the first time the man had said something that made him wonder if he was suffering from depression. He had seemed to perk up by the end of day yesterday, but he would keep an eye on his state of mind just in case. He wouldn't be permitted to accept assignments unless his mental state was stable enough to complete them properly, so as Viktor's mentor, this would be something he was expected to report on. In agitation, he gave his ponytail a tug which caught Celestino's attention. The two exchanged a look and Yuuri knew Celestino was also concerned.

****

"Well, that's good to hear, Viktor," Celestino responded after a moment. "Just remember, if you need to talk about anything, we are all here for you. You can come to my office any time I don't have a class."

****

"Thanks Celestino." Viktor smiled, an open and honest smile. "I'm starting to realize just how much of a family this unit is."

****

"Exactly Viktor... we may not be your flesh and blood, but we are your family now." With that said, Yuuri moved from where he was leaning against the wall and made his way to the door. "Time to head home, we have some planning to do and not a pile of time."

****

~~~~~~

****

Yuuri took the sheet of paper out of the envelope.

****

**Richard Lawrence, October 26, 2014 6:55 pm, Detroit, MI, USA**

****

Yuuri's research unveiled that the guy was single, an office worker, and had a very boring routine. Every day he would leave his office at exactly 6:45. From there he would pick up a hot dog from the same vendor on the same corner and make his way to the bus stop, finishing the hot dog as he walked. Rinse and repeat. Boring, but made for an easy reap. Yuuri explained to Viktor that the best way to cause a death would be to change as little as possible about a pre-existing routine. That way there was less of a chance of something unexpected happening. Souls also tended to take comfort in routine, he explained, so it was less traumatizing to the soul if their death followed the pattern they had in life.

****

"Wow, Yuuri, this is all so complicated. You really put a lot of thought into each person's death, don't you? Do all reapers?"

****

"No. Most put some thought into it but make it as convenient as possible for themselves. Some though, like JJ, really go for the dramatic." He rolled his eyes. "Specialists are a little different as I'd mentioned before. But for me, I guess I put so much thought into it because after seeing an innocent soul become tormented, I want to make sure all my assignments pass as peacefully as possible."

****

"Is that why I was so calm after? I feel like I should have reacted more, especially since everyone keeps bringing it up."

****

"Well, Viktor, everyone is different. It depends on a lot of things, like how hard you were hanging on to life. For some, for various reasons, they feel that their time has come or feel the need to move on. At times that can be caused by the Law of Magnetism...which we are not going to get into right now. But in your case, I'd like to think it's because you were relaxed, doing something you often did during competitions, and it involved your phone. You really were obsessed with social media, you know! But even though it wasn't your usual routine, it was close enough that your soul was relaxed. Speaking of which, you have no idea how much trouble you caused by not going to breakfast and staying in your room! I had this super awesome death planned for you and you just had to ruin my plans!" Yuuri stuck his lip out and pouted a bit.

****

Viktor was now curious as hell. "So what did you have planned for me then? And why do you keep avoiding telling me about the Law of Magnetism?"

****

Yuuri grinned."Someday, Nikiforov, if you're a really, really good ice puppy, I'll tell you. But today's not the day."

****

Not totally surprised by the answer, Viktor thought more about their conversation, and the explanation of how and why Yuuri went about choosing people's death. "Waaaaiiiit a second Yuuri. You said something about seeing an innocent soul being tormented. What is that about?"

****

Yuuri became deathly still. "It's about consequences, Viktor. You'll find out for yourself one of these days when we get cleaning duty. And trust me, from that day forward you will have a much greater appreciation for the will of the universe and the Rules that we have to follow."

****

Viktor shuddered at Yuuri's tone. That did not sound good. Nope, not good at all.

****

At 6:00 pm they headed out to stake out the hot dog vendor that Richard (oops, the assignment, Yuuri said never get personal) always went to. Yuuri had planned to cause an object to appear in the path of a vehicle, causing the vehicle to swerve and hit the assignment while he was crossing the street. Yuuri said it was best because the assignment's routine wouldn't be disturbed at all. So at 6:30 they found themselves eating hotdogs and looking for an appropriate object to place in the street. As they ate Yuuri explained that the best object would be something close by that wouldn't take much effort to move and that might naturally find its way there. He spotted an old beat up metal garbage can that someone had placed near the intersection and decided it was perfect. "So we'll roll that into the intersection just as he's about to cross and screech, boom, splat and done! Assignment complete."

****

"OMG Yuuri, I do _not_ need the sound effects!!! I'm _eating_!"

****

Yuuri laughed. "Oh, sorry. You'll get used to it over time.Things can become...quite gruesome." He rolled his eyes. "We're reapers, Viktor. Our job is to kill people. It's not all bubble gum and Barbies." Viktor shuddered for the second time that day. Although, he was quite frankly amazed by the man standing next to him. He was so different than the Yuuri he had expected to meet during the 2011-2012 season. As Yuuri turned to his phone while they waited, Viktor decided to do the same.

****

**ChrisDaMan** ****

Chris omg Yuuri ****

Oh? What about Yuuri?

 **** He's not...how he was before

(*＾▽＾)／

How do you mean?

Not that I saw much of him that day

Except he's totally hot now

****

You have no idea

(꒪ཀ꒪)

OMG

Deets

Well he's a dancer now

sooo...I'll leave *that* right there

And the hair

And he ditched those goofy glasses he used to have

（×ω×）;

I'm dead

Well yes I knew that

（＾＿−）

Funny Chris, funny

But not just that

You know he was known for being shy

Like no one could get him to go out?

And he could be a mess at competitions

Wow not pulling any punches

He wasn't *that* bad

Yeah well now

He's amazing

Nothing phases him

You know what they say

Confident in the boardroom

Confident in the bedroom

(ﾉ*0*)ﾉ

Chris OMG no

It's not like that

Not yet, mon ami

But I'd bet it will be...

Gotta run...

 **** ~~~~~~

****

_October 26, 2014, 6:52 pm_

****

The assignment approached the hot dog vendor right on schedule. He paid for his meal and stood at the corner to cross the street. As the light changed, Yuuri focussed on the garbage can, ready to move it into position. There were seconds left until the appointed time. Viktor was on edge. Between the excitement of the assignment and the abrupt change in his _existence_ , not to mention information overload, he was strung tight as a drum. In anticipation of what was about to happen, he clapped Yuuri on the shoulder from behind.

****

With a strangled "Whuuup!" Yuuri lost concentration while trying to move the garbage can. His aim misdirected, his power hit the hot dog while the man was about to take a bite and the hot dog shot out of the bun down the man's throat. The bun fell to the ground as the hot dog, now lodged halfway down the man's throat jiggled violently with the man's choked screams. After a few horrifying moments, the man was finally out of air, and fell to the ground, dying while onlookers screamed. Death by choking.

****

Wow, Viktor thought. If someone hadn't just died that would have been comical. It looked like something right out of those violent old cartoons they've now censored for today's more sensitive viewers.

****

While this was happening, Yuuri had stood with his hands covering his face chanting "OMG OMG OMG". He looked up quickly when the man's struggles ceased and looked at his watch.

****

**6:55 pm.** Assignment complete.

****

Then as both men watched, a whisper white substance (mist?) began to separate itself from the body on the ground. The mist coalesced and took on the physical form of the assignment. It looked down at its former body, not noticing them or any of its surroundings. After a brief moment it began to fade away.

****

"Ok, good, he's gone to Tir Bheannaithe now. We're done here." He turned around, grabbing Viktor by the arm and marched them away to find a cab back.

****

"Umm...Yuuri..."

****

"Viktor. If you say ONE word, I swear... Just keep quiet. We will discuss your actions and their repercussions LATER. When I've had more time to assess how best to make this a lesson you won't soon forget." Viktor decided in this case that keeping quiet was perhaps the better option. Thoroughly chastised with those few words he sat the whole cab ride home in silence.

****

~~~~~~

****

Now that Yuuri's assignment was completed (and after Viktor had received a very detailed and passionate lecture on what he'd done wrong and why), Viktor decided that the first order of business in his new 'life' in the afterlife would be to get a new wardrobe. Up to this point he had been borrowing clothes from Yuuri, who was a similar build but a bit shorter than him. They worked for hanging around the townhouse, but he would look a little ridiculous walking around the city, especially since the majority of Yuuri's clothes appeared to be practice clothes or athleisure. Comfortable yes, but not the polished look that Viktor usually sported.

****

In addition to the monthly stipend, Celestino had explained that every new reaper got a sum of money for start up. This was to make up for the fact that they had to leave all their possessions behind. It was a pretty modest sum, and to be honest, Viktor had no idea how far it would go. It had been so long since he'd had to look at a price tag that he'd lost all conception of what things cost. He had begged Yuuri to take him shopping, feeling that the man's inherent practicality would help him make the most of his money. To be truthful, he craved his company too.There was something warm about his personality that seemed to make the cold, empty feeling he had in his chest dissipate. However, Yuuri had refused point blank, stating unequivocally that he hated shopping and Viktor was old enough he didn't need his hand held. Pouting at the last statement, Viktor had tried his best puppy dog eyes but Yuuri just laughed at his attempt to get his way. Compromising, and perhaps sensing his need for company, Yuuri arranged for Mila to take him out the following day.

****

_October 27, 2014_

****

As he waited for Mila to arrive, he thought he would ask Phichit a bit about her. Yuuri was busy at the dance studio so he hadn't had a chance to quiz him yet. "Phichit, what is Mila like? You and Yuuri are fun and outgoing...Yurio is...an angry teenager. Does everyone in our unit have such strong personalities?"

****

Phichit snorted in response. "Viktor I hope you're not implying that you're the only one without a strong personality, because _damn_ boy, look up 'extra' in the dictionary and you'll find your picture staring up at you. But yes, Mila is quite the character.Think a Russian Xena, Warrior Princess with bright red hair who models and takes theatre for fun. She certainly has the drama part down! And she can bench press Yurio with ease. But she's also fiercely protective of her friends and family. And remember, you're part of the family now so you don't need to worry too much about getting along with her. Besides, from Yuuri's old posters I can tell that you'll bond over clothes and shopping."

****

"WHAT? What do you mean Yuuri's old posters??? Does Yuuri have posters of me~????" Viktor was practically preening at the thought.

****

"Shit." Phichit facepalmed. "You did NOT hear that from me. And you will NOT mention that to him. Seriously though, the only thing that really triggers Yuuri's anxiety now is mentioning his life. He still watches skating of course, he can't keep away from it entirely, but that is the only connection he has with his past self. So do him a favour and pretend you didn't hear that."

****

Viktor frowned. "Ok, but I can't imagine what about his skating would upset him. While he competed he was an amazing skater. I watched all his competitions in his last season to check out the competition - and even as a junior he was better than a lot of skaters in the senior division. I was looking forward to facing him on the ice. I guess I can understand needing to let go of your life to move forward, but really it shouldn't upset him."

****

"There's more to it than that, but I'm not going to betray Yuuri's trust. Maybe one of these days he'll tell you about it," Phichit said softly. Just then the doorbell chimed. "Well, looks like your ride is here, you better not keep the lady waiting!"

****

Viktor jumped up and headed to the door. "Later, Phichit!"

****

As Mila slid into the driver's seat of her black sedan she asked Viktor where he wanted to go. "I don't know," he responded. "Should we start with Burberry?"

****

Beside him Mila cackled with mirth. "Burberry, Viktor? Last time I checked the start up money might buy you a scarf at Burberry. You might want to start with something...um...off brand until you find yourself a job."

****

"But Mila~! Do you know how long it's been since I've looked at a price tag? Or had cheap fabric touch my skin?" He shuddered dramatically at the thought.

****

"Well you don't seem to mind Yuuri's clothes 'touching your skin' and they're not designer," she mocked with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. "Already have a thing for him huh? Well, get in line behind all the others, but be prepared for a long wait. He doesn't date."

****

" _MILA_! I am only wearing his clothes because I had nothing other than a bathrobe when I died. Don't get the wrong idea!" Viktor protested vehemently, but at the same time filed that bit of information for later consideration.

****

Mila didn't look like she was buying one word of it, but relented for time being. "Ok, ok, let's go, ice puppy, and find you some clothes. I have a few ideas where to go."

****

"Ugh," he groaned in response. "I don't know which is worse. That nickname or that I'm about to _willingly_ spend money on off brand clothes. And how did you even hear about the nickname anyway?" Mila just continued to laugh at his expense. "Viktor, darling, I can hardly wait until you have some real money. I have a feeling we will just _love_ shopping together!"

****

~~~~~~

****

He arrived back at the townhouse right after lunch with quite a number of cheap plastic bags clutched in his arms. "Phichit," he called, "can you show me how to use the washer? These clothes smell like cheap nasty chemicals. And the fabric is so rough. I need softener."

****

"Sure, Viktor, just give me a minute."

****

After Phichit had helped him get his wash started he made himself a light lunch, scrounging in the fridge. Then it occurred to him he didn't know if there was some system for determining whose food was whose. He asked Phichit who told him that generally everything was communal except there were certain snacks that each of them favoured and they made sure not to steal from the other. They took turns grocery shopping and ordering out, and didn't keep track of who owed who what. "It's family, Viktor, we all contribute, same with chores," he explained. He told Viktor that his contributions would be welcome, but not to worry about it just then - it was more important to settle into his new existence first.

****

Once again, Viktor felt that warmth creep across his chest. He'd never really had this sense of belonging, not since he was so little he couldn't remember. He'd lived in the dorms by the rink in St. Petersburg since he was 10 years old. Being included and expected to contribute was something that he knew he was going to cherish. He smiled at Phichit who was rambling on about one of his classes while Viktor finished eating. It was strange, but he thought in the last 2 days since he died he felt more alive than he'd ever felt during his actual lifetime.

****

"After you're done eating, why don't you head over to the studio and visit Yuuri? If you get bored, there's always a mountain of paperwork he's always begging me to help with."

****

"That's a great idea! Where is the studio and how do I get there?" Viktor was excited to see Yuuri in the studio. To see how he'd transformed his life from skating into something else.

****

"I'll come with you and show you the bus route, so you don't get lost when you go yourself."

****

BUS ROUTE? Ummmm... maybe he should clarify this with Phichit. "You don't mean _public transit_ do you?" Viktor was horrified at the idea. I mean yes, in Europe sometimes you took the train but those trains had seats or compartments that were suited to the way he was used to travelling.

****

Phichit rolled his eyes heavenward. "See Viktor. Extra. You are so damn EXTRA. Yes, prince of the ice puppies, public transit. It's quick, cheap and gets you where you need to. Your stipend won't go very far you know."

****

Viktor sighed in defeat. "Ok, then, I'll follow your lead." While his new reality as a reaper wasn't bothering him, his new financial reality was certainly a big blow.

****

Thirty minutes later they arrived at the studio. Minako's studio if Viktor remembered correctly. He wrinkled his nose. The ride itself hadn't been too bad, but the smell... it was clinging to him. To his clothes, his hair and his skin. How did they do this every day? He had the urge to shower the second he got off the bus.

****

Phichit practically ran into the building, dragging Viktor awkwardly. Making his way confidently through the building, he pulled Viktor into a surprisingly large office that looked like it used to be a very small studio. The floors had the gleaming waxed hardwood and the distinct smell that Viktor remembered well from his days training in ballet.

****

"Yuuri! I brought you a puppy to play with! Don't worry, I'm fairly sure he's housetrained."

****

Yuuri looked up from the spreadsheet he'd been working on and greeted the two. He then directed his attention to Viktor. "Good to see you. So did you get your shopping all done? Enjoy meeting Mila?"

****

"Yes, yes. It was an, um, interesting experience. I've never been in a change room so small it looked like a toilet cubicle. But um, at least I won't have to borrow your clothes now. And Mila's great! She and I are definitely going to be shopping buddies."

****

"That's great." With a smile, Yuuri leaned back and stretched. Do you want a tour of the studio? I can introduce you to a couple of instructors as well that we often hang out with. There's a short break right now between classes so your timing was good."

****

"Sounds great!"

****

The three of them made their way to the break room, with Yuuri in the lead. Sitting around a small table were two men, who both looked a bit younger than Yuuri and Phichit. "Hey guys, I want you to meet Viktor, our new roommate. Viktor, this is Leo and Guang Hong. They're both enrolled in the dance program at Wayne State. They both take advanced lessons from Minako, and help teach some of the other classes. Leo also assists with the choreography for the year end recital we do for the younger classes."

****

Guang Hong spoke up first. "Hey Viktor! Nice to meet you. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of you from now on. Are you here to help out with the studio? Yuuri was saying he was looking for another instructor."

****

"Oh, well, I um..." he looked to Yuuri at a loss as to what to say.

****

"Oh I've known Viktor for years, we go way back. He is going to help with some of the paperwork so I can take on more classes," Yuuri said smoothly, cutting through Viktor's awkward attempt at a response.

****

"Yes, yes that's right!. I know Yuuri through, um dance, and when he mentioned he needed help, well here I am." Viktor gave his trademark media smile. His relief at having been saved from making up a story on the spot faded abruptly as he realized that he'd just been roped into doing the paperwork that Phichit had ominously mentioned. Damn, Yuuri was smooth. He couldn't believe he'd just been bamboozled so easily into what sounded like an absolutely horrible task.

****

After that the five of them fell into an easy chat until it was time for classes to start again. Standing up, Yuuri freed his ponytail, shaking his hair loose then pulled his long hair into a messy bun. Viktor may have died on the spot at the sight.

****

"Sorry, Viktor, I've got intermediate jazz now. Phichit, can you find Viktor some space and start showing him the scheduling stuff? And the payroll software? Then after class, we can head home together."

****

Scheduling? Payroll? Viktor's head thumped at the thought. What did he get himself into?

 

 **** ~~~~~~

_October 28, 2014_

****

The next morning he found himself in Celestino's office after receiving a text from him the night before. He was a little worried that he was going to get a lecture from his boss as well about the incident with Yuuri's assignment, so he had taken extra care to make sure he wasn't late.

****

"So Viktor, I hear that you had a little trouble with the assignment the other night?" Damn, he knew he hadn't heard the end of it.

****

"Um, yes, sorry Celestino ...with everything that's been going on I guess I was just a little on edge and reacted. It was so close to the assigned time I was worried Yuuri wasn't going to make it." He grimaced internally, his excuse sounding weak even to his own ears.

****

"Yes, I can understand that. After all you had only died the day before, so it's not surprising that you were jittery. It really is a lot to adjust to, which is why we were all worried." Oh, ok, so Celestino was the supportive type. Good to know. Although, he mused, he was so used to Yakov's unforgiving and demanding style of coaching, he never would have succeeded at skating with such a mild coach. While he mulled this over, Celestino continued, "But you don't have to worry about Yuuri. Don't let those thoughts stop you from observing him, and especially his methods. Yuuri might be modest, but the truth is he's one of the best reapers the universe has ever called. I've even heard Yakov bragging about him to the other District bosses, and I'm sure you realize what that means."

****

Viktor's jaw dropped. He sat there with his mouth gaping open, probably looking like an idiot and not caring one bit. "WHAT!!!!!!! I've never heard Yakov even say anything or anyone was acceptable. I didn't think the man even knew what praise was." 

****

Celestino raised his eyebrows. "One other thing you should know. Yakov is ranked number one among the District Bosses. And of his units, we are ranked number one. That means that somehow you got assigned to the most elite reaper unit. I have high expectations of you, and I look forward to seeing you meet those expectations."

****

Viktor gulped, finally closing his mouth. "And I'll be certain that will happen," he replied in a small voice. Ok, so maybe Celestino wasn't as mild as he appeared.

****

"Good. As I said, watch Katsuki. He won't steer you wrong. Now to other matters. I heard you went out with Mila. She was rather amused by your, uh, financial expectations. As you can tell, you will be needing to get a job. I suspect from what Mila said that you will be wanting to do that as soon as you can, but I want to caution you against that. You have at least another 50 years here in the afterlife. You should take some time getting to know yourself, letting go of your life and decide what you want your afterlife to be. We usually recommend taking a good six months before you start shaping a new 'life' for yourself."

****

Viktor leaned back in his chair, thinking about what Celestino had said. Although he thought he was ready to embrace his new existence, it was true that he hadn't completely let go of his life. It didn't really feel like it was _over_ , especially with Yakov's presence constantly in the background. He voiced these thoughts to Celestino, thinking that perhaps opening up to his boss would be a good idea. The man kept encouraging him to do so, and seemed genuinely concerned about his well being. So with that in mind he thought he would take a chance.

****

He was glad he did. After some discussion, Celestino suggested that perhaps he should visit Chris and Makka. Since Chris lived in Switzerland not Russia, there was very little chance he would be recognized, although he had changed his appearance enough that it wasn't a huge risk anyway. Celestino quickly got a hold of Yakov who agreed with the plan on the condition that Yuuri accompany him. That was more than fine with him. He was finding himself more and more attached to Yuuri despite only have known him a short time. With the paperwork submitted for final approval, Viktor left Celestino's office with one of his rare real smiles on his face. As long as the paperwork got approved, next month he was going to see his two best friends!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How Yuuri researches his assignments is covered later.
> 
> Next up...visit with Chris, lots of fluff, then buckle your seat belts, Viktor learns what the consequences are that everyone keeps talking about. But it will be ok, I promise :) Just... not until Chapter 6.
> 
> Preview - one happy quote, and one not so much.
> 
> "Makka greeted him like he’d never left, jumping up to meet him and leaving wet kisses all over his face. He spent the next few minutes lost in the softness of Makka’s fur, completely ignoring the outside world."
> 
> "Then the world came to an end and Viktor with it."
> 
> Chapter 5 will post approx. 4-5:00 pm mountain time on Tuesday. Or later that night if work ends up being too crazy.


	5. I'm Just a Man, I'm Not a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and angst in this one. Viktor visits Chris and Makka, learns more about what it means to be a reaper and experiences the consequences everyone keeps talking about first hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from My Chemical Romance, "Welcome to the Black Parade".
> 
> Trigger warnings: hypothermia, falling down stairs

  
~~~~~~

November 18, 2014, Detroit Michigan

 

Three weeks had passed since Yakov had given them permission to go to Switzerland. Besides allowing him the opportunity to observe two more assignments, the three weeks had also drawn the unit closer together (except for JJ because no one wanted to spend time with him). Yurio and Mila often came by the townhouse in their spare time, and meals were lively to say the least. Viktor still hadn’t ventured out of the townhouse much, except to go to the studio or accompany Yuuri or Phichit when they went out. Yuuri and Yurio had introduced him to gaming; Yuuri had a state of the art gaming system that was no doubt the reason for Yurio’s frequent visits. Viktor soon found himself happily immersed in the world of Dark Souls.

 

It was strange, the luxury of spare time was never something he had had during life. But soon enough he found his time was taken up by something or other and he was never bored. Wanting to contribute to the household he even learned to cook. Yuuri found it rather endearing even though the first attempts were a bit of a disaster. Laughing, he and Phichit just helped clean up the mess and ordered pizza.

 

Yuuri thought that the other man had really come a long way the last few weeks. He shouldn’t be surprised; one didn’t become a four time world champion without a good work ethic and sound mind. Still, he was a bit surprised with just how easy Viktor had slotted into their lives. It had been just him and Phichit for long enough that he hadn’t been sure how they would adapt to someone else becoming part of their dynamic. But Phichit just treated Viktor like the errant child he was and Viktor for his part seemed to embrace that role. It must be his incredible self confidence Yuuri thought. He glanced over to where Viktor was now proudly bragging to Phichit about something or other. Then again, maybe it was just his inflated ego.

 

Viktor relished the opportunity to observe two more assignments and to redeem himself. After the first debacle, Viktor had taken Yuuri’s lecture seriously and did his best to be a model student. Truthfully, it wasn’t hard. In life he’d worked tirelessly to become the best of the best in skating. He might have a reputation for being a bit of an airhead, but he took things seriously and put in the work when it was required. And if he was honest with himself, there was more than a little part of him that wanted to please Yuuri… not just please him but impress him. Yuuri seemed happy with with how Viktor was progressing. Not only did he watch carefully, but he asked the right questions and always asked when he was uncertain of some little detail.

 

The first of these assignments was fairly straightforward like the first. This time it was an elderly women. Although her body was in pretty good shape, it was her destined time. Yuuri had arranged for her to slip and break her hip while taking out the garbage one evening during her usual routine. Unable to move, she’d been stuck outside all night and died of exposure in the cold November night. To get the timing just right, Yuuri used his power over the human body to time the exact moment when her body succumbed. Just as with the first assignment, they watched as the soul left the body in its mist-like form and disappeared to Tir Bheannaithe.

 

Although Viktor understood that it was her time, it was hard to watch someone die alone like that. Unlike the first assignment, this time he felt the weight, the overwhelming magnitude, of what Yuuri had just done, and what he himself would soon be expected to do. He didn’t know quite what to do with those thoughts, wasn’t sure how to fit them into his new existence. Yuuri, of course, noticed something was weighing on his mind. For some reason he seemed to be able to read Viktor like a book. And, he mused, it’s not like he did anything to hide his true feelings from Yuuri. He wondered why he didn’t slip back into his persona like he normally would. There was just something about Yuuri that made him open up, made him want to be himself and drop his persona for good.

 

In response to the weight that had settled on Viktor’s heart, he became clingy...or rather, he finally let himself give in to his urge to cling to Yuuri constantly. He knew he was being “extra” as Phichit put it, but he couldn’t help himself. He found himself draped all over Yuuri whenever he had the opportunity. Despite his own embarrassment at his actions, he used every excuse he could to touch the other man. Fortunately, Yuuri didn’t seem to mind, in fact seemed rather amused by Viktor’s behaviour. Physical contact seemed to help ease his mind about his new circumstances.

 

But Yuuri being Yuuri, eventually he forced Viktor to talk about it.

 

“Come on Viktor, it’s time to fess up. You’ve been acting odd since the last assignment and I know it’s been bothering you. What in particular about the reap are you struggling with?”

 

Viktor sighed, knowing he was not going to get out of the conversation. He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. “Yuuri...you took a life. And...she was someone’s mother, someone’s grandmother. And she died alone, and cold, and it was so unnecessary. And I get it, intellectually at least, that everyone has to die sometime and this is how it happens, but my heart doesn’t accept it. I’m not saying I think you did something wrong, I know it had to be done, and I know you’re a caring, compassionate person who tries to avoid unnecessary suffering. But...how can you do it? How can I do it? So casually take a life and then come home and eat ice cream like nothing happened?”

 

To his surprise, Yuuri had a small smile and was nodding at him. “Viktor, what you’re going through is totally normal. It means that you value life, that you care about not just the assignments, but their friends and families as well. I know it’s hard to believe now, but that empathy will make you a good reaper.” Yuuri then shook his head slowly. “It’s not easy. It’s never easy. But when you have more experience you’ll see how necessary it is. You’ll understand that by planning the death right we can give these souls the gift of a peaceful transition. When you understand that you’ll understand how important our role is. And remember, it’s not like the souls we reap disappear into nothingness. The majority of them go to Tir Bheannaithe, the blessed country. We’re bringing them great joy. And they will be reborn again. This is not the end for them, it’s just another turn of the Wheel.” He paused, watching Viktor’s expression carefully. “Think on what I said for a bit, then if you want to talk more, come to me.” Having learned how needy Viktor was, Yuuri then pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back reassuringly.

 

“Ok, come on, let’s get to the studio...you’re getting behind on the paperwork again Viktor!”

 

Viktor groaned. He’d learned that he was not suited to that type of job at all. He would have dreaded his time at the studio if it wasn’t for the fact that he got to watch Yuuri sometimes. The man was truly an exquisite dancer. It was a shame, he thought, a few more years in skating and who knows how far he would have gotten. People were right saying that he would have been Viktor’s rival - if his dancing was anything to go by, he would have had a really hard time remaining on top of the skating world with Yuuri as a competitor. “Fine. But only if you let me watch some of your classes!” Yuuri, laughing, agreed and pulled him towards the front door.

 

~~~~~~

 

The next assignment was much different than the first two. The assignment was a criminal, and a pretty powerful one at that. Yuuri took more time planning this death than the others Viktor had observed, explaining that he didn’t want to start a gang war. He had to make sure that there was no question that the man had died naturally, and not by the hand of his enemies. As a result, he wouldn’t be able to plan a death as peaceful as the last two. This one would be a bit more difficult, and the assignment wouldn’t pass as easily. There were two options, he had explained. The first was to make his death so obviously accidental that it would be like something out of a Charlie Chan comedy. The second was to make it so natural that it would be something that no one could artificially create, like a stage 4 cancer. But with only a few days, the natural route simply wasn’t an option. There wasn’t enough time to make him sick, have him go to the doctor and get a diagnosis and then pass. That left the first option.

 

“We’ll consult with Phichit. This is his style of reaping, so he probably has some good ideas.”

 

“But Yuuri, I thought the reaper that got the assignment had to complete it?”

 

“Of course, but that doesn’t stop us from consulting others or brainstorming. Working together by consulting each other makes us better reapers, and it’s one of the reasons our unit is so close.”

 

Phichit of course had had a myriad of ideas, each more fantastical than the last. After a good bit of eye rolling Yuuri finally decided on a plan.

 

At exactly 45 seconds before the appointed time the assignment was approaching the top of the stairs of a pedestrian overpass. He threw the peel of his banana (thanks to Yuuri) on the ground then proceeded to slip on it. He tumbled down the stairs like it was a performance, his rolls and thumps changing direction as he frantically tried to right himself. In a truly comedic twist, he even managed to change direction with the stairs and continued falling with audible thumps and groans until he reached the street. Finally losing momentum, he rolled onto the street, and to the astonishment of passersby, actually stood up. However, as he was about to step to the safety of the sidewalk, a car came speeding by and threw him into the air. He twisted and whirled like he’d been tossed in some sort of demented throw from a pairs skate before landing on the pavement and actually bouncing before his body rolled and finally stayed still. 

 

As Viktor and Yuuri watched the soul began detaching from the body. Only this time was different. The soul was red, and it seemed to be fighting, trying to cling to the physical body that had housed it. And instead of immediately taking corporeal form like the others, it remained mist-like, only slowly forming into the form of its former human. For a brief instant it looked down at its body, then turned to Yuuri and Viktor. Viktor could sense the anger emanating from the soul. It seemed to pulse instead of gently fade as the others that he had seen did. But gradually the pulses faded and the soul started to fade, but as it did so a faint wail could be heard by the two reapers. Viktor shuddered violently with the pure hatred that was encompassed in that short, faint wail. He couldn’t imagine what it would sound like at full volume. The soul finally disappeared and Viktor sighed with relief. It had been intense.

 

Later that night Yuuri came to talk to him about what had happened. Viktor was glad he didn’t have to ask. He wasn’t sure how to without looking weak. But the earlier events had distressed him greatly.

 

Yuuri explained that the reason the soul was red was because it was being drawn to Tir Cra, not Tir Bheannaithe like the other two Viktor had seen. “This is the Law of Assemblage, the second Law of the Universe. The Law of Assemblage states that souls in soul form will congregate based on similar quality. This means that souls are naturally drawn into Tir Bheannaithe or Tir Cra based on the quality or values that the soul demonstrated in Tir na Beatha. Also, you should know that the quality of the soul is cumulative throughout lifetimes. Souls can change their innate quality, but it usually takes several lifetimes. Or that’s what I’ve been told anyway. Some reapers are old enough to have seen the same soul be reborn, if you can imagine that. That’s what Celestino says anyway.”

 

Seeing that Viktor was still paying rapt attention, Yuuri continued. “So when you see the soul fade, what you are seeing is the soul being drawn from the world of the living to either Tir Cra or Tir Bheannaithe. We can tell where they are headed by the colour of the soul. So as soon as you saw red tonight, you should know that the soul is headed to Tir Cra. One thing about the Law of Assemblage though is that it only works on whole souls. You will understand that better when the time comes, but that shouldn’t be for quite a while.”

 

Viktor chewed on that a moment. “Ok, but why did it take so long for the soul to fade? It seemed to struggle, unlike the others. And that noise it made at the end...is that all because it was going to Tir Cra?”

 

“No.” Yuuri paused then, looking like he didn’t know quite how to continue. “That’s how souls react when their death is not so comfortable. So the first two you saw I was very careful to make their deaths a part of their routine. I’d mentioned before that this makes the soul comfortable, eases their passing. Well, when their death is so out of their usual routine, or so different than their personality would dictate then their soul tends to fight the transition. How hard they fight varies based on their personality and how far from the soul’s ‘comfort zone’ the death is. So in this case, this is not how the assignment expected to die. He thought he’d be killed by his enemies or die from the excesses of his lifestyle. Dying from a ridiculous fall down the stairs was not on his agenda. So the soul fought the death a little bit. It really doesn’t matter in the end. The Law of Assemblage will draw them away from the World of the Living no matter how they died. So most reapers don’t worry on it too much. The important part is completing the assignment. Once souls reach their final destination they quickly forget how they died. So I’m probably being a bit ridiculous in how I plan things. But I do it for me too. It makes me feel like I haven’t lost touch entirely with the feelings I had while alive.”

 

He gave Viktor some time to digest that information, time that Viktor really needed. He was starting to understand why Celestino had said Yuuri was the number one reaper - and why Phichit too had sung his praises when they’d first met. The first two deaths had been so peaceful, he could see that now. They had been seamless, the souls transitioning without a moment of hesitation. And even though he had hated the second, he could now see that the soul that had passed didn’t hate her death, but had accepted it as a natural part of its existence. He began to realize that the values he had held as a human didn’t necessarily apply in the afterlife. He then thought of his own death, and how it really hadn’t troubled him that he had died. I mean, yes, it was a lot to deal with, but it wasn’t traumatic. Dying had been fine, it was everything else that was hard to deal with. It wasn’t something that he had felt the need to fight the second he had died. A new respect for Yuuri bloomed within him. He understood now why Yuuri took such care in planning his assignments.

 

And with that, came realization.

 

“Oh, no Yuuri… oh Yuuri...oh no. Celestino said you had a hard transition to a reaper. Is that why? Because of your death?”

 

Yuuri sighed. At first he looked defeated, but his features softened into a smile. “See, I told you that you’ll make a great reaper. You know the questions to ask, and you understand the significance of things. I’m not going to talk about why, but yes, my death was pretty much the furthest thing from what my soul would have wanted. It would have been much easier if I’d died in the tsunami like everyone else.” Yuuri sighed. “I have to give JJ some credit though,” he admitted. “I did change my plans without even thinking about it as the train pulled into Sendai. It’s usually unheard of for the location or time of an assignment to change, but apparently mine did last minute. It was a spur of the moment decision to travel to Matsushima. I just wish I’d known how that decision changed things... but I am grateful that JJ noticed the change. If he hadn’t completed my assignment…” he broke off, shuddering. “Well, let’s just say despite everything I’m very grateful to him.”

 

Although Viktor didn’t exactly understand what made Yuuri shudder like that, he could tell it was deeply upsetting. He pulled Yuuri close in reassurance, and he didn’t pull away. He wished he could do more for Yuuri and find out what was causing him so much pain. But for now, before Yuuri fully trusted him, this was all he could do. And it was better than nothing, he reminded himself.

 

~~~~~~

 

They got the go ahead from Celestino that the paperwork had been approved and it was ok to book their flights to visit Chris. After some excited texts back and forth, they decided to meet in Geneva on November 23rd.

 

When they arrived it was late afternoon and Chris was waiting for them in the airport with Makka beside him. Ignoring his bags, Viktor ran and embraced his furry friend. Makka greeted him like he’d never left, jumping up to meet him and leaving wet kisses all over his face. He spent the next few minutes lost in the softness of Makka’s fur, completely ignoring the outside world.

 

“Hey Viktor, do you think you might want to say hi to your human friend too?” Chris said with a smirk and a wink. He didn’t look angry, but Viktor felt guilty all the same.

 

“Sorry, Chris. I’ve just never been without Makka this long. I know you would take good care of her, but I needed to see her.” Viktor finally stood up from where he had been crouching.

 

Just then Yuuri appeared at his side with the luggage. Without thinking about it, Viktor wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him into his side. “So I know you know Yuuri, or I guess, you knew Yuuri, so I don’t think I need to introduce you, but here’s the um new Yuuri? Other Yuuri? Yuuuuriii~ this is so awkward!”

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes at Viktor’s antics. “Hey Chris, it’s been a while. I see you’ve been doing really well for yourself. Congrats on your silver at World’s last year!”

 

Chris raked Yuuri’s body over with his eyes, the smirk never leaving his face. “Well, Yuuri, who knew that you’d become such a fine specimen when you grew up,” he purred. “I see you’ve staked your claim already Viktor. You’ll have to give me all the sordid details later.”

 

Embarrassed and blushing deeply, Viktor hastily withdrew his arm from Yuuri. “Chris! It’s not like that. Yuuri’s my mentor and my roommate.”

 

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Of course, Viktor, whatever you say.”

 

Yuuri just laughed at the two of them, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, which he had left loose, letting his luxurious mane cascade down his back. He was giving them no hint as to how he felt about what Chris had implied. Ugh, Viktor thought. That was the perfect opportunity to test the waters. Oh well, with Chris’s naturally flirtatious ways there was bound to be another opportunity to see how Yuuri felt.

 

Chris lead them to a car he had waiting and they all bundled in, headed to the hotel that they had chosen. When they arrived, Chris had raised an eyebrow at the fact that he and Yuuri were sharing a room. Once they were safely in the elevator, Viktor retorted “Chris do you have any idea how little money we make? It’s not like I have access to the funds I used to have! So we make do.”

 

Chris had looked a little guilty at that. “Um, I never had a chance to say thank you Viktor. I really didn’t expect you to remember me in your will. So if you need…”

 

Viktor waved him off. “No, no Chris. It’s all yours. Although I do expect you to spend some of it on Makka! Besides, I have to leave everything behind, funds and fabulous wardrobe included. Those are the Rules.” Viktor placed an emphasis on the word “rules” and Chris understood. Viktor may be an airhead and a bit of a dork, but where definite rules were in place, Viktor dotted all his i’s and crossed all his t’s. They had all gotten used to the multitude of rules and regulations that the ISU had, but of all the skaters he had met, only Viktor knew and understood them all. Most didn’t even try to get to know them and instead relied on their coaches.

 

“Ok then,” Chris smiled, “but you can at least let me treat to to dinner.” Chris suddenly looked Viktor up and down. He wrinkled his nose. “And maybe a bit of a shopping spree too.”

 

Viktor instantly brightened. “Oh Chris! My saviour! You have no idea how I have suffered! I mean off brand clothes!!! And shopping for them! Do you know the stores put them in these cheap plastic bags and the handles actually break! And don’t get me started on the chemical smells. Or the change rooms. And the service...”

 

At this point the elevator reached their floor and Yuuri strong armed him out of the elevator. “Chris, Viktor and I are going to get settled in, and we’ll text you in a bit, ok?”

 

“Sure, mon ami, let me know when you’re ready for company.” With a final wink, the elevator doors closed and the two turned to make their way to their room.

 

Once inside, Viktor surveyed the interior. There were two double beds lying parallel to a view of the city out a wide window. A small table and two chairs would suffice as a dining area. And there was a little table Viktor supposed was supposed to function as a desk for business travellers. “Not bad. I’ve stayed in worse for some competitions.”

 

Yuuri just rolled his eyes and started sorting through his luggage for clothes that needed to be hung. “It’s lucky he had Makka with him,” he said, changing the topic deftly. “You missed it but he was pretty confused when you ran up to them. So that’s a good thing. Means your current form is sufficiently different that people won’t easily recognize you.”

 

“Oh! I should have thought about that and sent him a selfie. That was thoughtless of me!”

 

“No! Viktor not a good idea. What if someone hacked his phone? Too many questions. Yakov would have let him know that you would appear differently, and described your current appearance. He just didn’t know exactly what you looked like. So don’t worry - this is a good thing. Especially since when you start looking for a job you will have more options since you won’t be as easily recognizable as we’d originally thought. No, Viktor, I know that look. It is not time to look for a job yet. You need time. Besides, I am really appreciating the work you’re doing at the studio.” At the last bit Yuuri looked downright smug.

 

Damn him, Viktor thought. He was still annoyed at how easily he let himself get roped into doing the studio’s paperwork. Still, it did provide a little extra income which he really did appreciate. The monthly stipend was ridiculously low. Forcing himself back to the original topic he said, “Ok, good point. No selfies.” Viktor continued unpacking, hanging up the majority of his clothes. They may be offbrand, but at least they weren’t athleisure he thought, eyeing Yuuri’s suitcase and sighing. He wondered what it would take to get Yuuri agree to let him be his personal stylist. Because damn that dancer’s body...it needed to be put in clothes that would show it off to its full magnificence.

 

After they’d taken turns having a quick shower and changing, they got a hold of Chris and agreed to meet in the hotel lobby and walk around looking for dinner. Chris knew Geneva well and had a few places in mind.

 

They ended up picking a restaurant that faced a square, and had it been summer, would have tables scattered outside, prime for people watching. As it was, the interior was welcoming and slightly homey. They ordered, accepting Chris’s recommendations, and while they waited Viktor and Chris caught up with the latest gossip in skating.Viktor hadn’t been gone all that long so there wasn’t much to tell, but he enjoyed the stories about the up and coming skaters and Chris’s analysis of their ability.

 

Yuuri listened in but didn’t contribute. It was so weird to him, that this conversation was something that three and a half years would have been perfectly normal for him now felt so foreign. He hadn’t been a part of that world for a long, long time. And maybe he was never truly part of that world. After all, he had failed to move to seniors. He had failed to prove himself. Most importantly...he had failed to skate against Viktor, to show everyone that he was worthy of sharing the same ice. At that thought he tensed up. He refused to let himself give into his anxiety, but his breathing became a little quicker, a little more shallow and he knew if he had a pulse that it would have quickened.

 

Not wanting to disturb the two friends in their reunion, Yuuri excused himself to use the restroom. Once there he used the opportunity to do the breathing exercises he used to have to use before a competition. After a couple minutes he felt more himself and straightened and looked in the mirror. Feeling he had to have some excuse for staying so long, he quickly wrapped his hair into a bun and went back to the table.

 

“I was just starting to wonder where you went, Yuuri,” Viktor said. “Aww, you put your hair up. You don’t wear it down nearly often enough. You have no idea how jealous I am of how thick your hair is.” Viktor fingered his own shoulder length hair. “I mean, yeah my hair is ok at this age, I mean uh right now, but when I di--, um, I mean when you came for me in October, my hair was so thin there’s no way I could have had it long.” Viktor let his head fall to the table. “Ugh, why is it so hard to just talk?”

 

Yuuri laughed. “Well, now you understand part of the reason behind the rule. It’s not going to be easy. For you or for Chris…”

 

Chris, ever the sensitive soul that he was, took the hint and talked about more mundane matters for the rest of the meal. They finished up after indulging in dessert and walked back to the hotel, all three in a blissful contented silence. They agreed to meet for breakfast and made their way to their rooms.

 

While they got ready for bed, Viktor thought back to the evening and realized that Yuuri had been unnaturally silent. He hoped that he hadn’t felt excluded. Viktor blanched at that thought, remembering how Phichit had explained how painful skating was to Yuuri. He felt guilty. He should have known better and to avoid that conversation. Trying to make up for it he asked Yuuri, “So Yuuri, is there anything that you want to do while we’re here? Have you been to Geneva before? I have once, but it was for a competition so I was in and out so fast I didn’t see anything.”

 

“Well actually...I didn’t want to bring it up tonight because it’s business, but since we’re here, Celestino thought it would be a good idea for you to observe a different reaper. I’ll come of course, but he thought maybe you should see someone outside our unit to understand the ways other units approach things.”

 

“Yuuri...I can’t imagine that I could learn anything from them that I can’t from you, but ok. I guess the more assignments I observe the better.”

 

“Great! Then I’ll make the arrangements. It will probably be the day after tomorrow since we are only here four days. Maybe tomorrow you should spend the day with just Chris and Makka. Go for that promised shopping spree.” Yuuri grinned at Viktor, taking away any sting the words may have had. He didn’t like the idea of spending any time away from Yuuri.

 

“Ok, well I can’t argue since you mentioned shopping. But will you be ok on your own? I feel so bad, like I’ve left you out of things.”

 

“It’s fine Viktor. First of all, I’m fine. Second, this trip isn’t about me, it’s about you. Part of why we are here is so that you can let go of your former life. Even though Chris knows and you can keep in contact with him, you have to realize your relationship will change. He’s not going to understand your assignments, or how they impact you. And you can’t really discuss them with him. Not in detail anyway. A living soul can’t deal with that information, it’s too hard for them. I mean, you’ve felt the weight of it and you’re a reaper. You don’t want to subject Chris to that - it’s too much for a living soul to bear. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your some sort of friendship with Chris and visit Makka now and then.”

 

Viktor thought hard on Yuuri’s words. He didn’t like them. Not at all. But he realized the truth of them. As a living soul, Chris couldn’t deal with his new reality. He could remain friends with him for now, but it would have to slowly dwindle. It sucked, and Viktor hated it, but he realized the inevitability of the situation. And as always, Yuuri was right.

 

“Ok,” he said slowly, “I hate the situation, but I’d be lying if I didn’t recognize that you’re right. And...really… I understand now that I should be grateful just to even see them again at all. So thank you for that Yuuri.”

 

“I wish I could take credit for that. But don’t thank me, thank Yakov. He’s the one that made this all possible. He must have a soft spot for you.” At that, Viktor shook his head. A soft spot for him? How was that even possible? The man had all the soft spots of a porcupine. ...with that image firmly stuck in his head, Viktor slept fitfully, his dreams full of weird visions of running for his life from rabid porcupines.

 

The next morning they met for breakfast as they had arranged. Yuuri joined them and made polite conversation, but excused himself as soon as he had finished eating. He told Viktor he’d text when he had heard from Celestino.

 

As soon as he left, Chris turned to Viktor, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. “Sooooo….what’s the deal with Yuuri? I’ve never seen you so...clingy… shall we say...”

 

Viktor swallowed his coffee a little too quickly. “No deal. There’s no deal. I mean I’ve only known him like a month. And um, I’m just affectionate, you know that.”

 

Chris rolled his eyes. “Viktor cut the crap. I’ve known you long enough. This is not your usual MO. So what’s going on? What makes him so special? I mean obviously he’s hot...but the way you act around him it’s like he’s the sun in your solar system. You’ve lost your chill Viktor.”

 

Viktor sighed. “Honestly Chris, I don’t entirely know myself. There’s something about him that just feels, I don’t know...like home. Like I was empty before and this was what was missing. And no, before you ask, it’s not because I di-, um because of what happened. I’ve been feeling like I’ve lost my inspiration for a while now. It’s just felt like a piece of me was missing. And somehow when I’m with him, I feel like I’m closer to finding that piece. I wish I could tell you all the stories though! From what I’ve learned he’s a completely different person now. Things...things that we have to do in our...um...job...they change you. And in his case, it’s a change for the better. I mean the way he, uh, um, does his job, it’s truly inspiring. Ugh I’m not making sense. But he just cares so much and the way he does things...it’s truly amazing. And it’s not just me saying that. He’s been given the title of the most elite rea-  umm, most elite of us.” Damn, Viktor thought, it was so hard to have a conversation in public. And how on earth could he possibly explain to Chris just how absolutely amazing Yuuri’s work was? … Yuuri was right, he realized. There were just certain things Chris couldn’t understand about his new existence.

 

“So, um, your …. job… have you, you know, done your job yet?” Chris looked perplexed, which reinforced the thoughts that Viktor had just been ruminating over.

 

“No. Not yet. There’s a training period and we have to be cleared by Yakov before we can do our job ourselves.”

 

Chris looked relieved at the information. “So, I don’t want to sound silly or anything, but I don’t have to, like, worry when I see you or Yuuri, do I? Like, you can just hang out without making me the, uh, focus of your job?”

 

Viktor smiled. Of course he’d be worried! Who wouldn’t be sharing a table with a reaper - for that matter he’d been with two reapers. It’s not everyday a living soul looked knowingly at the face of death itself. Now that he’d thought about it, Chris was extremely brave having even agreed to the visit. Ohhh… and now he understood why Yuuri was so quick to leave. Of course Chris was going to be uncomfortable. “No, no Chris. We get specific assignments, and usually they are geographically based. And we’re based in Detroit, so I can’t imagine we would have to, um come here for a business trip. And from what I gather it was highly unusual for Yuuri to get an assignment that was someone he was familiar with, even if he didn’t know me personally. He said it was an unusual circumstance which was why Yakov was involved directly. He’s the boss’s boss and normally doesn’t get involved with the everyday… job.”

 

Viktor watched as the tension left Chris’s shoulders. He sat back in his chair with the familiar open grin he usually wore. “Well, ok, good. Yakov kind of told me the basics on a ‘need to know’ basis so I didn’t freak out and post something weird on social media, but he really didn’t give me any… practical information. And OMG can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that you trained under like the HEAD Re- um boss???? No wonder you’re the Living Legend! He must have driven your training with _unworldly_ discipline. I mean he must have just about _killed_ you in training to perfect those jumps. You must have been a _zombie_ after your training sessions…” Chris broke off no longer able to stave off the laughter.

 

Viktor joined him in his mirth, releasing a lot of tension he didn’t know he had in the process. He didn’t realize it, but he was nervous about meeting Chris now that he had his new “job”. Yuuri was definitely right, things would change, and they would eventually drift apart. But for now, this was a little bit of comfort that helped ease the weight of what he had now become.

 

“So...you had mentioned shopping?” Viktor grinned wickedly at him, their old camaraderie definitely having overcome the period of awkwardness.

 

“Of course, of course. I can’t imagine you’re comfortable in that ...outfit. Let’s get out of here and have some fun!”

 

Viktor made it back to the hotel late afternoon, with about an hour to spare before dinner. Yuuri had let him know that he had confirmed arrangements for the next day. He let Chris know that he was going to train with someone local the next day, but he would be available the day after. They made arrangements for dinner, and Viktor dragged his multitude of shopping bags to his room. Yuuri teased him mercilessly about the amount of clothes he’d purchased (well, that Chris had purchased) but he was too happy to let it bother him.

 

Dinner that night far surpassed the previous night. Not only was the food divine, but there was a definite lessening of tension in the air that Viktor hadn’t realized had been there the night before. Chris must really have been worried that he and Yuuri were there to reap him, and now that that worry was cast aside he was more relaxed and genuine in his interactions. Yuuri seemed to pick up on this and didn’t try and leave as soon as possible like he had at breakfast, but let them linger through the night and enjoy Chris’s company.

 

Chris had been quite into the wine, but he and Yuuri had refrained because of the assignment the next day. “So, Yuuri, what happens when you drink? Can you get drunk?” Chris had asked with a slight slur to his words.

 

To VIktor’s surprise, Yuuri actually answered, chuckling as he did so. “Yes, Chris we can get drunk. But no, there’s no hangover, and it doesn’t affect us physically. But the… intoxication is no different than what you experience.”

 

“Yuuri! Our sweet innocent pure Yuuri! What happened to that innocence? I sense some fantastic stories you’re not letting us in on…” Chris looked like a cat that had swallowed a canary.

 

Yuuri just laughed harder. “Yes, Chris, our roommate Phichit has lots of stories… and photo evidence that he enjoys blackmailing me with. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure that I get Viktor drunk enough that he does something humiliating like climbing a building naked and doing yoga poses on the roof.”

 

“Um, Yuuri, that sounds very specific…” Chris looked especially intrigued.

 

“Oh, it’s just something I can see him doing since he insists on naked yoga at home…”

 

“YUUUUUURRRIIIII!!!!!!” Viktor was desperate to end this conversation. “It was ONE time. I was sore, ok, and had just a shower to loosen my muscles so it was an opportune time and no one was supposed to be home.”

 

Chris and Yuuri ignored his distress and just continued laughing until they were both wheezing. Yuuri finally came up for air. “Ok, well on that note, we should probably all head back now, it’s getting pretty late.” They walked back to the hotel, Yuuri and Chris engaged in light conversation and Viktor pouted the whole way. Of course later that night when Yuuri finally apologized, he forgave him, but at the same time he was plotting how he would convince Phichit to get Yuuri back.

 

The next morning Yuuri outlined the plan for the day. They would eat breakfast and hang around the hotel until later that afternoon. Then they would start observing Jana, the reaper that had an assignment later that day that they were going to watch. Yuuri explained that Jana wouldn’t actually be meeting with them. They were supposed to observe from a distance and then meet with her afterwards to discuss her technique. Also, to not affect the performance of her duties, Jana wouldn’t know of their presence until after the assignment was complete. Some reapers got nervous when others watched them, and they absolutely did not want to interfere with an assignment.

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor and Yuuri found themselves in a little cafe located in the Square des Alpes called the Cottage Café. It was known for it’s views, phenomenal coffee and tapas. But what had made Yuuri choose it was the view. The appointed location of the assignment was the Monument Brunswick, and hanging around the cafe made their observation much less obvious. As they enjoyed their food, Viktor reflected that this was certainly an enjoyable way to spend the afterlife. Good food, good company…

 

Yuuri suddenly tensed. “Oh no. Something is not right.” Viktor looked over at him having no clue what had made him upset. He scanned the surroundings, seeing nothing that would cause alarm, nothing unusual.

 

A figure approached the pool in front of the monument. Viktor suddenly understood that the figure intended to end its own life in front of the monument. How he knew, he couldn’t say, but he knew with certainty that that was how he was supposed to come to his end. He looked over at Yuuri who had risen with tension humming through his body, every nerve on fire and ready to react. Viktor couldn’t comprehend what had set Yuuri off or why he all of a sudden had a deadly serious look in his eyes. “Viktor, you need to go back to the hotel NOW. You do NOT want to see this. It’s too soon. VIKTOR. GO. NOW!”

 

Despite Yuuri’s emphatic instructions Viktor found himself rooted to the spot. He tried to make his muscles comply, knowing that Yuuri would never order him unless he thought it was absolutely necessary, but at the same time he found his muscles completely useless. He looked around wildly trying to figure out what was happening, but still he couldn’t make his muscles move to leave the scene.

 

As he watched, nearly paralyzed as he was, a reaper appeared behind the assignment and approached the figure who was now contemplating the gun in his hand. He realized this was Jana, the reaper they were supposed to be observing, and that she was the one influencing the man, goading him on, and this is how the assignment would be completed. And Viktor knew there should be a reaping, like now, to complete the assignment. But as he watched the reaper just looked at the figure, tears falling slowly down her cheeks. Reaching out to the figure in a private gesture that the man would never see, the reaper turned around resolutely, cries turning into crippling sobs as she fled the scene. The figure dropped the gun, no longer interested in it.

 

All of a sudden Viktor’s attention was turned to Yuuri who started yelling “SHIT. SHIT SHIT SHIT. We need to get ahold of Celestino, maybe Yakov too. Viktor, you need to get out of here RIGHT NOW.

 

Viktor still couldn’t move, entranced by the scene unfolding in front of him. As the reaper left the assignment suddenly started to scream. Despite the screams the reaper kept moving away and Viktor suddenly understood that the reaper failed to complete her assignment.

 

He watched as Yuuri approached the assignment while rapidly texting on his phone. Viktor could only guess he was telling Celestino and maybe Yakov what was happening.

 

Then the world came to an end and Viktor with it.

 

The soul still in its body started keening, an off-key ear splitting sound that screamed of wanting to meet its destiny. It was awful, tearing Viktor’s mind apart piece by piece until he could think of nothing but the need to send the soul to Tir Bheannaithe. But as Yuuri approached it, with a cautious speed, the keening gained in volume changed into an angry screech. Like it knew that it was its time but that a reaper had failed it.

 

Yuuri was almost there, almost at the point where he could stop the awful screaming, but then the unimaginable happened.

 

The soul, the beautiful soul that Viktor had seen, started to try to tear itself from its physical body on its own. It started howling, screaming, in a voice of torment that Viktor could scarcely comprehend. The screaming, the pain that had been given voice, became louder and louder until Viktor‘s mind could no longer stand it.

 

He fell to his knees holding his ears, trying to put up a barrier between himself and the awful thing that was radiating pain and fear in front of him.

 

As it reached the apex of its screaming it seemed to pause for a brief moment. Yuuri leapt towards it screaming “NOOOOOOO!!!!” and before Viktor could comprehend what was happening the soul succeeded in ripping itself out of its body, tearing itself into shreds as it did so. Instead of coalescing like the other souls Viktor had seen, this soul tore itself further and further apart screaming with an inhuman scream that reverberated through Viktor like nothing he’d ever imagined.

 

“Cleaning duty NOW!” Yuuri yelled to everyone and no one as he jumped into action. He seemed to be trying to collect the pieces of soul that had shattered in front of them.

 

Viktor, completely devastated and still paralyzed by what he had just observed remained on his knees completely useless. His breath was ragged and uneven, his lungs starved for oxygen.

 

A piece of soul that had escaped Yuuri came closer to the cafe where Viktor was sitting. With an especially mournful howl, the shred went straight for another patron and tried to enter the man’s body. The living man started shaking violently, like an epileptic episode, eyes rolling back in his head. He started to screech in pain as the piece of soul gained momentary control of the man’s body. Then, in front of him, unknown reapers began popping into existence, one rushing over to the screaming man, the others rushing to help Yuuri.

 

Suddenly there were horrific noises to his right. He watched as other shreds of the soul began lifting benches from the ground lining the plaza and throwing them randomly.

 

It was too much. The sounds the shreds of soul were making completely overwhelmed his mind. He felt like he was losing himself, losing consciousness. He couldn’t listen anymore, he had to drive those sounds out of his mind. He covered his ears and started screaming, while the scene of the past few minutes replayed on a never-ending loop in his mind. Soon he was lost in his own internal nightmare, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

 

He was still sitting there with hands over his ears and screaming when Celestino found him several minutes later. Still unaware of anything outside his own mind, Celestino got him back to the hotel room and sat with him for some time, waiting for him to regain his senses.

 

It came slowly, his screaming fading as the sound of the soul screeching in his mind slowly becoming quieter, until he was finally able to comprehend that he was no longer in the cafe. He finally lowered his hands from his ears and took a look around, still gulping air into his lungs as if he was drowning. His throat was rough and there were still tears falling down his cheeks. After a moment, he was able to pull himself together enough to look up.

 

“Ah good Viktor, you’re back. No - don’t say anything quite yet, your throat is probably pretty sore. Stay right here and I’ll grab you some water. I didn’t want to leave your side till you came back around.” Celestino got up and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini bar, twisting the cap open and handing it to Viktor. “You ok to drink that on your own?”

 

Viktor nodded and raised the bottle to his mouth with a shaky hand, letting the cold liquid run down his throat, coating it and providing some relief. He cleared his throat a few times and finished the bottle off.

 

“Better?” Celestino asked, face full of concern and looking very contrite. Viktor nodded again. “Yakov was quite concerned about you so he will be coming later once...everything is taken care of. And Yuuri should be here soon. I’m sorry about that. I never would have made the arrangement for you to observe if I had known that was going to happen. It was much too soon in your transition to have to see the consequences when the universe’s will is not followed.”

 

At the familiar word, Viktor turned to him, finally finding his voice. “So that’s what everyone is referring to when they say consequences?”

 

“What you saw tonight was the consequence when the reaper refuses to complete the assignment. There are lesser consequences when a reaper still completes the assignment but is a minute or two late, but there are still consequences. The further away from the assigned time the death is, the more likely that something like this will happen. Do you want me to explain what happened? Are you ready for that?”

 

“Yes, please Celestino. I need to know.” Viktor was still shaking, so Celestino wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

 

“Ok. What you saw tonight was a soul denied its destiny. The soul knew that its time was up, and knew that the reaper was coming for it. When it realized that the reaper was not going to complete its task, the soul tried to complete it itself, by separating itself from its physical body. The problem with that is that a soul can’t do it independently. It takes so much energy that it ends up damaging the soul to the point it can’t hold itself together anymore. And so the soul comes apart, looking like it’s being torn like tissue paper. And when that happens, the Law of Assemblage does not apply. Only whole souls are drawn to Tir Bheannaithe or Tir Cra. Pieces of souls have to be collected and sent together, though they can only be sent when all the pieces have been collected. Also, Yakov, being the number one District Boss, is the only one that has that power. Collecting the pieces is what we call ‘cleaning duty’ and is carried out by all reapers that are in that unit and those of adjacent units. The faster the pieces are collected, the better chance of the soul healing.”

 

“Healing?” Viktor asked, slightly afraid of what he was going to hear next. Celestino sighed heavily, confirming Viktor’s worry.

 

“This is going to be hard to hear, but I’m not going to sugar coat it. Once a soul tears itself to shreds, it becomes tormented. The agony of having been denied its destiny, combined with the pain of being torn apart turns the shreds into what the living call demons. I think you saw a bit of that tonight. Sometimes, when the pieces cannot all be collected the shreds stay in the world of the living as demons, which is why human history is ripe with these stories. So because of what the shreds become, they have to be sent to Tir Cra. They would cause too much chaos and disrupt the joy in Tir Bheannaithe if they were sent there in that state.”

 

Viktor interrupted, though it was clear that Celestino wasn’t finished. “So they get sent to hell because a reaper couldn’t do their job????!!!!!?”

 

“Unfortunately, yes. That’s the way it must be. There is a chance if the soul can repair itself and become whole again that the Law of Assemblage will function and the soul will be pulled back into Tir Bheannaithe. But my understanding is that this is rarely possible. It would mean that the process of the soul coming apart was stopped in time so that the pieces were big enough that they could be mended with the soul’s remaining energy.” He shook his head. “From what I saw tonight the chances of that soul healing are very, very slim.”

 

Viktor was silent, looking down at his hands while he tried to comprehend what Celestino had told him. He couldn’t believe that the selfishness of the reaper had led to this. Led to an innocent soul destroying itself to the point where it would spend eternity in hell and tormented. That soul had done nothing to deserve this.

 

And then reality hit even harder. That could have been him. What happened if he got an assignment that he couldn’t complete? How could he be entrusted with souls like this? It was too much, too overwhelming a responsibility. He should never have been called. Someone somewhere made a massive mistake. He could NOT do this. He wasn’t strong enough...he wasn’t enough to accept this responsibility.

 

At that moment the door opened and Yuuri ran to his side. His hair had come undone and he looked the most dishevelled that Viktor had ever seen him. “Oh Viktor, come here, I’m so so sorry you had to see that.” Yuuri sat down beside him, pulling him into an embrace and holding him like you would a small child, rubbing his back and whispering in his ear. “Shhh...shhhh...it’s ok. You’ll be ok...we took care of it, ok. Don’t worry...shhhh.” Viktor didn’t care one whit about his dignity at that moment and just let Yuuri continue to hold and rock him as the tears continued to fall. He didn’t have it in himself to pull himself together, and he didn’t think Yuuri cared that he was crying. He just felt...broken. They stayed like that until Viktor’s emotions had exhausted themselves and he was completely wrung out. He finally leaned back a little, letting Yuuri get more comfortable, but stayed in his embrace.

 

“Thank you Yuuri. Sorry I fell apart on you.”

 

“Nonsense. That’s not an easy thing to experience.” At the familiar gravelly voice Viktor turned around and saw Yakov at the door, apparently having been in conversation with Celestino. “Vitya, I know you and what you’re thinking right now. So stop it. Everything has a purpose and you were called for a reason. I’ve seen your dedication to your sport. I know I’ll see the same dedication in the afterlife. You will not make the mistake that Jana did. And she will not be making it again either.”

 

“Yakov…” Viktor broke off, not sure what to say next.

 

“Viktor, I think it’s best if you cut your visit short and head back to Detroit. Your unit will take care of you, and they’re the best support for you right now. This… this is not something that Chris is equipped to deal with. Celestino will make the arrangements before he leaves.”

 

As Yakov turned, Viktor realized there was one more thing he had to know. “Wait, Yakov...wh-wh-what happens to Jana now?”

 

Yakov huffed, looking at Viktor carefully before deciding on his answer. “Jana has been sent to Tir Cra for the next 3 months. Both as punishment for breaking the Rules, and to cleanse her conscious. After that, I will judge whether she is capable of taking any further assignments, or if it’s time for her to retire. If she has the mental fortitude, she will make it through her punishment just fine. If not, well… then we know we’ve avoided the chance of her doing something like this again.”

 

Viktor didn’t know how to react to that. He didn’t know how to feel...how it should make him feel. Should he be glad she was being punished? Horrified? And the fact that Ykov has the power to send people to hell… the events of the evening were just too much and he could feel himself really starting to crash. He began to sink back into himself, reality fading away.

 

Yakov turned to Yuuri. “Katsuki, I’m trusting you with him. You better see that he makes it through this.”

 

Yuuri looked down at the beautiful but shattered man that was still settled in his arms with a fond smile. “Of course, Yakov, I’m not your number one for nothing. And...this is Viktor...he’ll be ok. You know I wouldn’t let it be otherwise.”

 

Yakov nodded and turned to Celestino. “Ok, let’s leave him. He needs rest most of all right now.” Yakov left then, without a backward glance, Celestino quickly following letting Yuuri know he’d be in touch with their travel plans.

 

After they left, Yuuri got Viktor ready for bed as best he could, taking off his coat and washing his face with a warm cloth. Although Viktor responded to physical direction, he was much too much in a daze to do anything for himself.

 

Settling them both in the same bed knowing Viktor needed the physical proximity, Yuuri braced himself for the nightmares that he knew would come...both for him and for Viktor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference for death of the criminal (this is hilarious, don't worry, it's a stunt):
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoBW_KfUmhI
> 
> Café where they observed Jana (I SO want to go here sometime):
> 
> https://www.cottagecafe.ch/en/home/ 
> 
> Next up: Viktor suffers more and Yuuri helps him recover, time with Yurio, Viktor buys an apron (*・艸・) And lots of texts with Chris.
> 
> Chapter 6 will be posted Friday, probably around 2 pm mountain time


	6. Before I Come Undone, Save Me From the Nothing I've Become

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"  
> Please listen to the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM  
> And/or read the lyrics before (available legally at http://www.metrolyrics.com/)
> 
> There's not a whole lot of Yuuri in this chapter because Viktor needs to start learning from the perspective of others (don't worry, LOTS of Victuuri coming), and this song summarizes exactly what Viktor needs from Yuuri.

~~~~~~ CHAPTER 6 ~~~~~~

 

Viktor didn’t remember the flight back to Detroit. He didn’t remember leaving the hotel, boarding the plane or even how they traveled back to the townhouse. He had a vague memory of hearing Phichit’s voice, and an even more vague memory of arms helping him up stairs. Arms that weren’t Yuuri’s. He was living in a nightmare, encased in the sights and sounds that surrounded him in the Square des Alpes, unable to escape from the memories.

 

He gave into the madness, not moving from the bed where he’d been placed, accepting sustenance when it was forced on him but otherwise not responding to the outside world. When he wasn’t reliving events his mind was surrounded in a fog, a fog that he came to welcome as the only reprieve from the terror that overwhelmed him. In his more lucid moments he wondered if he could just let go; if he did maybe the fog would swallow him completely and he could just drift...not having to accept any responsibility, not having to face the reality that was being a reaper.

 

Slowly, the nightmares became less frequent and the fog started to dissipate. He gradually became aware of another presence in the room, recognizing it as Yuuri’s. He sought comfort from his presence, and as awareness came to him he knew that Yuuri was offering him reassurance in the form of touch. He was always holding his hand, had his arm around Viktor’s waist or his fingers combing through his hair. As he became aware of these small touches, he clung to them; letting the small pressure of Yuuri’s fingers ground him, become his anchor. And slowly, painfully, that anchor stopped the nightmares that roiled through his thoughts, stopped the drifting of his mind, and brought him back to the World of the Living.

 

_December 1, 2014_

 

Viktor finally came back to himself six days after the failed reap. It was early in the morning, and Yuuri was sitting beside him, still holding his hand and propped up against the headboard fast asleep. When Viktor stirred he immediately came awake and peered at him anxiously.

 

“Viktor, it’s Yuuri, can you tell me if you can hear me?”

 

Viktor gave a weak chuckle, “This isn’t exactly how I’d imagined getting you into my bed, Yuuri.” Ugh, he thought, mentally facepalming. No filter. Oops. Smooth, Viktor, smooth.

 

But he needn’t have worried. Yuuri just laughed, a deep heartfelt laugh that lit up his entire face. “The incorrigible flirt is back. Now I know you’re going to be ok.”

 

Viktor smiled weakly back. He felt like shit. This was worse than any hangover he’d had in life. Besides the mental fatigue he supposed he must have been without a decent amount of food for a long time.

 

“Can you walk with help, Viktor? I think a shower is probably the first order of business. Then some food, water and maybe some cheesy romcoms on Netflix.” Viktor attempted a smile, though it came out more of a grimace. How did Yuuri know him so well already?

 

“That actually sounds perfect. Do we have any ice cream?”

 

An hour later Viktor was cocooned in blankets on the couch sandwiched between Phichit and Yuuri with a bowl of chocolate ice cream sitting on his lap watching You’ve Got Mail. If Phichit or Yuuri had any thoughts about his choice of movie, they wisely decided to refrain from commenting. Never mind that Pretty Woman was up next in the queue…

 

~~~~~~

 

A couple days later Viktor was more or less functioning properly. Physically, regular meals had done wonders. Although he couldn’t die of starvation, he certainly felt the effects of not having eaten properly. He was still prone to falling into a depressive state, but nothing like the complete and utter breakdown he had had. Yuuri and Phichit were his rocks through this time, offering him unwavering support. Both had reassured him that it was ok to react as he had, it didn’t mean that he was weak. Still...he had trouble believing them. After all, Yuuri had only been a reaper for three and a half years, but had no trouble jumping into the fracas, with nothing but determination and focus. Sifting through his admittedly foggy memories of that night, he couldn’t remember seeing any evidence that Yuuri had been affected at all - not by the sight or the horrific sounds that the soul had made as it tore itself apart.

 

Troubled by this, Viktor finally decided he should just ask. He decided to approach Phichit first, feeling somewhat embarrassed to ask Yuuri since it would do nothing but highlight his failure and weakness. He waited until Yuuri went to the studio one day and cornered Phichit.

 

“Phichit, can we talk for a minute...about reaper stuff?”

 

“Of course Viktor.” Phichit put down his phone on which he had no doubt been posting something  to social media. The man was seriously addicted, so Viktor felt truly complimented that he put down his phone without a second thought.

 

“One thing is still really bugging me about that night… aside from the obvious. I can’t understand how Yuuri was able to ignore...the sounds and the pain that was radiating from the soul. How do you move past that and actually be able to react to the situation?”

 

“That is exactly why our Yuuri is number one. Don’t think for a second that he doesn’t hear it or that it doesn’t affect him. Quite the opposite. Yuuri seems to take every moment of pain that a soul suffers personally. That’s why he’s so obsessed with giving them such a ‘perfect’ death. Really, he overdoes it. The small amount of angst a soul feels when reaped disappears as soon as they fade from Tir na Beatha. But Yuuri has made it his mission to minimize any amount of suffering.” Phichit’s face lit up in sudden realization. “He’s like the saint of reapers!!!! OMG! A reaper saint!!!! I can’t even. The irony…” Phichit dissolved in laughter, losing the thread of the conversation completely. “OMG I am going to have to take advantage of that in some of Yuuri’s dance routines. And CLASSES. OMG VIktor you haven’t seen the best yet. His stage name will have to be Saint Katsu! Katsu, obviously short for Katsuki in English but no one will know that, but more importantly it’s a cutlet, part of his favourite dish, katsudon!”

 

“Ummm... Phichit, that sounds like a stripper name…”

 

The volume of Phichit’s laughter just increased. “Oh, Viktor, you are in for a treat when you finally see the true range of Yuuri’s dance skills.”

 

Viktor gulped and his eyes widened as he took in the implications of Phichit’s last statement. However, determined not to be derailed, he continued, “Ok but Phichit, how does Yuuri deal with things… how does he cope with it all?”

 

“The same way we all do, Viktor,” Phichit said, his manner becoming serious again. “We’ve all experienced what you did at some point. Granted not as soon as you had to, but we’ve all been there. What you heard...and saw...is not something that most souls can witness and stay sane. There’s good reason that the living cannot see or hear the souls of the dead, ourselves excluded of course since we exist outside the wheel. Most likely one of the reasons that we were called as reapers is that we are mentally stronger than most souls. But even then, it threatens to break us, especially the first time you witness it.”

 

“We take that experience and let it give us an iron will. One that will never let us waver from our duty for one moment. Think about it like you used to approach skating. If you had a bad fall or even a bad injury, would you just quit? Or would you heal as fast as possible, get back on the ice and train even harder so it doesn’t happen again? And what if you witnessed a rinkmate fall and suffer a horrible injury?” He paused for a few moments. “That’s how Yuuri described it to me after he recovered from his first experience. And that perspective is what makes him different than the rest of us. The focus and determination that he used to pour into skating he now uses to do his duty as a reaper. He is single-minded about his purpose like he used to be single-minded about his training. And despite how self deprecating he is, I’ve seen videos of him in life. If he’d continued, he would have surpassed you, you know. But now, as a reaper, he is so focussed on the soul itself and protecting it that things that give the rest of us pause don’t seem to affect him at all.”

 

“He did go through something similar to what you’re going through now - and it happened much too soon for him too. But he came out of it stronger than any reaper that has come before him. I’ll be honest with you, Yuuri doesn’t know this but we’re all in a little awe of him. It sometimes feels like he could carry out the will of the universe himself, and the rest of us are just playing at it. And if you can bring that same focus and determination that you used to train just like Yuuri does, you’ll soon be a top reaper as well. And I know you can. There was a reason why you were placed in this unit, besides Yuuri that is.”

 

Viktor concentrated on the hands he clenched on his thighs for a very long moment before he looked up. “I think I understand, at least a little. I’ve spent the majority of my life on the ice, and I’ve seen some scary falls and some very gruesome injuries as well. Skating is a dangerous sport. And what Yuuri said is right. If you want to be the best you just have to grit your teeth, get over it, and train harder and smarter to make sure it doesn’t happen to you - or happen again if it’s your own injury.” He nodded to himself. He knew he wasn’t healed. He still had some doubts that he could actually do this. But he had a path forward. If there was one thing he did know how to do, it was how to train. Right now he was weak and he hated it. He didn’t want to be a burden to the others, especially Yuuri. Phichit had alluded to the fact that Yuuri had looked up to Viktor as a skater, and he couldn’t stand the thought of failing in Yuuri’s eyes, although he supposed he already had. He wanted to live up to Yuuri’s expectations of him, and surpass those expectations. Viktor had spent his entire life living to please others, to meet their expectations, those expectations becoming higher and higher each year. In life, it had been something that dragged him down, something he hadn’t thought he could do anymore. But now … now... he had Yuuri, had his unit. And he wanted to meet their expectations, not to please them per se, but to be their equals - so he could be accepted by them, and contribute as part of their family.

 

“Thank you Phichit. I think I know how to put this behind me now. Or at least how to start. I think it’s time that I put more time into observing. Not just Yuuri, but the rest of the unit as well. Can we arrange that?”

 

Phichit smiled. He should have known any soulmate of Yuuri’s would have the will and determination to match his own. He wondered when Yuuri would finally admit it to himself and talk to Viktor about it. Silly, but typical Yuuri, who never thought he was worth the good things that happened in his life and afterlife. But now he was only avoiding the inevitable - he couldn’t escape the Law of Magnetism, it was a Law of the Universe. Yuuri and Viktor were inextricably bound together and where one went the other would follow, for as long as the universe continued to exist. But it wasn’t his place to tell Viktor. That was something between the two of them, so Phichit would keep his mouth shut, although if Yuuri remained stubborn he might have to find other ways to interfere.

 

“Of course, Viktor. Let’s talk to Ciao Ciao and he’ll set you up.” Phichit immediately got busy on his phone, setting up a meeting for the next day with Celestino.

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 5, 2014_

 

**ChrisDaMan**

Hey  
Sorry I had to cut our visit short

  
FINALLY  
You ok?  
Yuuri was…  
Idk  
Crazy? Intense?  
I’ve been so worried  
Like it’s been 10 days  
Since he said he had to take you home  
For a job injury??? WTF Viktor???!!!!

  
It wasn’t good  
But it’s ok now  
I’m figuring things out  
The job isn’t...easy

  
Well no shit  
What did you expect?  
But how the hell did you get hurt?

  
Not allowed to say  
This was...different  
It rarely happens  
But BAD. REALLY BAD  
But don’t worry, I’m ok

  
Viktor it’s been 10 days  
R U really ok?

  
Yes, just had a small recovery period  
And things have been busy  
How’s Makka?

  
Viktor you’re avoiding  
Makka’s good. She misses you  
But she’s ok  
She’s getting along with my darling  
So it’s ok

  
Shit I forgot about your cat  
Sorry Yakov asked you to take in a dog  
But you’re the closest thing to a godparent

  
It’s fine, no worries  
But Viktor…  
You disappeared  
Yuuri looked like death warmed over  
No pun intended  
But R U OK??

  
Yes.  
I’m working on it  
But have learned that training will help  
And if nothing else I know how to train  
¯\\_(⌣̯̀⌣́)_/¯  
I’ll make it happen

  
Is it something u can make happen?  
I mean it’s…  
Idk even what to say

  
It’s ok  
I know what I have to do  
I will be *fine*  
And next time I’m in Geneva  
We’re going drinking dammit

  
(ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖  
(*^◇^)_旦

  
I’m glad we can still be friends  
<3

  
That was the lamest emoji ever  
Seriously

  
\\(-ㅂ-)/ ♥ ♥ ♥  
Better?

~~~~~~

 

Feeling better after his talk with Phichit and texting Chris, Viktor was more than ready to meet with Celestino and get the ball rolling on more training. He hadn’t yet talked to Yuuri about his plan, wanting to talk to Celestino first to see if he was on the right track. He was happy when Celestino told him it was an excellent idea.

 

“Even though we’ve had you following Yuuri, you have to understand that the way he approaches his assignments he tries to achieve a level of ‘perfection’ that not only is impossible for others, but is not even on their radar. You don’t have to be perfect to be a good reaper. You just need to complete your assignments with minimal impact to the world of the living. Of course, Yuuri’s reaping is something to strive for, but don’t get caught up in trying to do things the way he does. You need to find your own style, something you are comfortable with. When you can do that, the thought of your own assignment won’t be so daunting.”

 

“Of everyone in the unit, Yurio has the next assignment. It’s tomorrow, so your timing is perfect to observe his planning process. Yurio’s style is...well...unique even among reapers. So I’ll let him know you’ll be joining him, and he’ll text you a time to meet up.”

 

Viktor left Celestino’s office happy that there was a plan in place. While he waited for Yurio to get a hold of him he decided to head over to the studio. After all, he thought glumly, the paperwork was piling up and there was no excuse to put it off any longer.

 

When he arrived, lessons were in full swing. He could hear the trickle of a piano coming from the ballet class, and feel the bass thrumming from the hip hop class that Leo was teaching. This semester they were offering all levels of ballroom, ballet and jazz, as well as contemporary, hip hop, Afro and some one day workshops in other styles. They had quite a few students from Wayne State taking jazz to help them with the musical theatre classes that Phichit taught. There were also a number that majored in dance that took advanced classes from Yuuri and Minako in ballet and contemporary.

 

He loved watching Yuuri in his element. He had often wondered what it would be like when he finally retired from skating, what he would do and how he would feel without the familiarity of competitions in his life. He hadn’t expected to have to leave skating so suddenly like he had, with no time to adjust to the idea or plan ahead. He should be upset, feel loss at having had to give up his life’s passion with no choice in the matter. But seeing Yuuri and the life he had carved out for himself, he felt more excited than anything else. It was such a rare opportunity, to be able to remake yourself into whatever vision you wanted. Viktor did that on the ice, in his programs, but to do it with his path in life is something he had never contemplated.

 

He settled into the office, and as he waited for the accounting program to boot up, his phone dinged. Ah, Yurio had texted.

 

**SmolAngryKitten**

Yo.  
Celestino said you wanted to watch or whatever

Yes I was hoping to

Ok old man  
I’ll come to the townhouse tonight  
You cooking again?

Of course

You know what I want in exchange then

Pirozhki?

I’ll be there at 6  
They better be ready

 

Viktor laughed. Yurio was so predictable. He didn’t mind though, it was nice to make something familiar. There weren’t many places you could get decent Russian food in Detroit, that was for sure. He always used Yurio’s visits as an excuse to prepare something from his own country, though he knew Phichit and Yuuri probably wouldn’t mind in any event. Food was pretty global at the townhouse. Viktor didn’t know where all Phichit had lived since becoming a reaper, but he was originally from Thailand. And Yuuri of course was from Japan. Leo, who was often over was from the US, but his family was originally from Mexico. It was thanks to Leo that Viktor had finally experienced his first “Taco Tuesday”. It was enjoyable, especially with Leo’s homemade tortillas, but he still wasn’t sure what the fuss was all about.

 

Luckily it looked like someone had done some of the accounting work in his absence, so it wasn’t as behind as Viktor had thought. He was thankful for that, since there was still the scheduling to start for the next semester. Finishing up the last of the outstanding payroll entries, he flipped through the notes that Minako had left.

 

Minako prided herself on offering an innovative and eclectic range of classes. Her studio was the best in Detroit, and classes filled quickly. Every semester there were always specialty courses that were impossible to find in other studios, and these always filled up first. Yuuri had told him that it was hard keeping his skills aligned with what Minako wanted him to teach, and the next semester they would probably have to look for a guest instructor or two to help out. That was going to make scheduling even more challenging.

 

He glanced at Minako’s notations on who would teach what, thinking to himself maybe he could help out by trying to find an instructor or two for the classes that weren’t assigned. The usual complement of classes was already assigned, so Viktor flipped to the specialty courses. Next semester it would be swing, belly dancing and… pole dancing??? Well that was unexpected. Not quite what he would expect from Minako. And where would they find an expert? He wasn’t too keen at the idea of going to strip clubs to scout out potential instructors. He looked at the notes again.

 

Wait.

 

No.

 

It couldn’t be.

 

Dear lord. That was what Phichit had meant.

 

There, plain as day, Minako had written “Instructor: Yuuri / St. Katsu”.

 

It was good thing he was dead, or he would have died again right there. And of course at that moment, the man that was the cause of his death (literally) walked through the door.

 

“Viktor! I wasn’t expecting you back here so soon! Oh, um, are you ok? You look a little flushed…”

 

Viktor cut Yuuri off before he could get any further, “N-no, no, I’m fine. Just, um a little h-hot in here is all and I was um bending down so the blood must have rushed to my face.” Oh god, he was rambling nonsensically. He hoped Yuuri wouldn’t notice what he’d been looking at.

 

No such luck.

 

“Oh, next semester’s classes. Right, we need to get a start on that ASAP. I think we’re all good for instructors now except for belly dance and swing. Belly dance should be easy to find, but not many around here know swing. I wonder if Phichit would know anyone through the theatre…” Luckily Yuuri hadn’t connected the dots and had no idea why Viktor was a bright red stuttering mess. “Oh, Viktor, you should join one of the ballroom classes. We’re always short on guys. You could even be an assistant teacher if you wanted. But we really could use more males for partnering. What about Intermediate Tango? Guys tend to take the beginner's class then drop out, finding it too intimidating. I’m teaching that one though, so you could help me demonstrate. I was also going to do a workshop on Argentine Tango. ...Viktor? Are you ok? You’re looking a little flushed again…”

 

“Yuuri, you killed me. I’m dead.” Crap. He’d done it again. He had zero chill when Yuuri was around.

 

“Viktor,” Yuuri sighed, “I thought we were past this. Please don’t be mad at me, you know I was only doing my job.”

 

“No, Yuuri, not that. THIS!” Viktor waved Minako’s notes at him. “Pole dancing???? Argentine Tango???? How am I supposed to survive that????”

 

Yuuri gave him a knowing look, and the little minx actually smirked. “I guess we’ll just have to see how strong your survival instincts are, won’t we?”

 

Viktor fell back in the chair, staring at the ceiling and gave out a long groan. Yuuri may have called him an incorrigible flirt, but Yuuri himself was a downright wicked tease.

 

~~~~~~

 

After the last of the pirozhki had been eaten (how did that happen?? Viktor had made extra), he and Yurio sat in a corner of the living room where Yurio showed him his assignment.

 

**Carla Santos, December 7, 2014, 9:23 pm, Detroit, MI, USA**

 

“So the deal is dude is walking home from a bar. Like who goes to a bar on a Sunday night, seriously?? Anyway, I’ve already set it up. This guy from the gang who runs that territory is going to be out for blood tonight. Mugging gone wrong. Easy peasy.”

 

Viktor leaned into the chair he had been perched on, totally taken aback. Yes, Yurio looked like  a punk, but violence, actual violence was not something he expected. “Um, how do you know the gang guy will be there?”

 

“Well duh, old man.” He pointed to his head. “The power of suggestion. Didn’t Katsudon tell you anything??? And when you use someone living to complete the assignment, we call them the ‘instrument’. The instrument completes the assignment.”

 

“Well, yes I knew that, but how do you know who to pick to ummm...do the mugging?” Viktor couldn’t bring himself to use the word murder. He knew that was their job, but still…

 

“My expertise is in street crime. I know all the gangs in Detroit, all the criminals, and all the people who hang around on the street. So why not take advantage of that knowledge? It’s perfect for reaping.”

 

Viktor thought that over. He hadn’t realized before that all violent deaths were probably some reaper somewhere. Well, duh. Now that he knew reapers caused all deaths, how would it be any other way? He sighed, wondering when he would stop being so naive about things.

 

“Ok, gotcha. Sorry, you have to remember I’m still pretty new to all this.” So what’s the next step?”

 

“Well, I’ve already visited the instrument and planted the suggestion in his head that he needs to prowl tomorrow night. As we speak, he’s getting more and more anxious with the need to vent his anger. He’s not ready yet, but tomorrow his anger will burst out just as he comes across the assignment. So we just need to be there, unseen, and make sure things unfold the way they’re supposed to. I’m not too worried though - this one is a piece of cake. So here, you obviously need some practice. Hold the paper with the assignment on it, then reach out with your mind. You should be able to feel the minds of the instrument and the assignment.”

 

Viktor did as he was told and was surprised by how easy it was, and by how much information he was receiving. It was a bit overwhelming - he could see each person’s past, present, future plans and thoughts and feelings. He focused his mind a bit, concentrating on the present. The assignment, he could tell, hated his job and tried to avoid reality by escaping in alcohol often, especially Sunday nights. The instrument’s thoughts were of anger, violence, and the need to show his dominance over the world. Viktor could see the subtle suggestion that Yurio had planted. Wow, he thought, he may look like a kid, but the guy was really talented. He hadn’t changed much at all, yet it had so easily set in motion events that would complete the assignment.

 

He let his mind come back to his own mind. “I’m really impressed. All you did is give the instrument a nudge.”

 

Yurio blew his bangs out of his face. The rest of his shoulder length pale gold hair was swept back in a ponytail. “You don’t need to compliment me old man. I’m one of the best, so don’t question it again. Ok, I’m outta here. I’ll swing by tomorrow night around 8:00 to pick you up. Oh, and one more thing, Viktor.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Next time make sure there are leftovers. Don’t be so stingy!” And with a snarl that sounded just like a pissed off cat, Yurio stormed out.

 

_December 7, 2014_

 

Viktor woke up to inappropriate thoughts. And no outlet for those thoughts. So he did what he did in life, and turned to his best friend.

 

**ChrisDaMan**

Chris I need your help  
I’m not going to survive this

  
Oh?  
What’s up?

I was at the studio yesterday  
And  
Yuuri asked me to help with a ballroom class

So? You can dance well enough

Yeah, but it’s tango  
And an Argentine tango workshop  
（×ω×）

And the problem is?

Chris I’m too weak  
I won’t survive  
And  
He’s teaching another class  
...pole dancing  
And then I...kind of  
Lost my chill and blurted out that he was killing me  
And he said he was going to test my  
“Survival skills”

…

 

? Chris!!!!!

....

Sorry man, I am laughing so hard at you right now

  
It’s not funny

  
I beg to differ  
“ψ(｀∇´)ψ

  
Stop laughing  
Can’t you see I’m having a crisis?

  
The *great* Viktor  
Playboy extraordinaire  
Is having a crisis over a hot boy  
Bahahahahahahaha

  
(￣^￣)尸  
Be nice

  
Why don’t you just give in?  
See where it goes?

  
I don’t want to ruin things  
He’s too important

  
Wow, you do have it bad

  
Tell me about it

~~~~~~

 

Since Chris was no help, Viktor gave up and decided to go for his morning run. He had started back into some of his former habits, wanting to keep physically fit, though not worrying about being in competition shape. It was a habit much too ingrained in him to stop, and it gave him an opportunity every day to clear his head and think about everything that had happened. It had been 43 days since he’d died...not even two months. Yet in those 43 days his entire world and understanding of the world had been turned upside down and inside out.

 

He was looking forward to that evening and to see how Yurio’s planning would play out. He didn’t think he could ever use violence to complete assignments like Yurio did. But at the same time, it kind of made sense with what Yuuri had told him. The assignment would be doing the same thing he did every Sunday, so nothing was out of his routine. Similarly, the instrument was prone to violence, and liked to search out confrontations. Neither would be acting outside their usual behaviour. In a lot of ways it was similar to how Yuuri did things… Yurio just nudged what was already there. He was creating a minimal disturbance to the usual routines of both parties. Viktor could see the logic behind it, could see that in his own way Yurio was doing the same thing as Yuuri to ease the soul’s passing.

 

He needed to quit approaching this as a living soul. He needed to keep his empathy for the living, but he needed to remember the...consequences.  As a reaper, different rules of morality applied. His very job was to take lives, but doing so was the will of the universe. And to not carry out the will of the universe...he shivered as he ran, trying not to remember the details of that night. No, he thought, focus. Focus on the soul. His job was to make sure the soul passed so it could continue its journey on the wheel. What they did was not murder, it was not extinguishing life - the soul still existed. No. What their role was, what his duty was, was guiding the soul to the next phase of its existence and making sure it made it there safely.

 

Yes, Viktor could deal with that. That was something he could accept, something he could work with. With his mind at peace more than it had been in the last 43 days, Viktor turned up the music on his phone and increased his pace. He finally felt vaguely hopeful that eventually the nightmares would fade.

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor spent an enjoyable day doing paperwork (blah) at the studio then hanging out with Phichit watching videos his students had created as assignments. Yuuri was stuck at the studio so couldn’t join them for the fun. Some of them were surprisingly good, and he was surprised one or two weren’t already on international stages. Others were… well, they should maybe get a reality check on their dreams. No one was bad, but some were clearly not up to the performance level that the program was designed for.

 

“The lighting and sound on theses is AMAZING! How do you get such professional looking light and sound for simple assignments?” Viktor was stunned. The technical elements outshone the majority of the performances.

 

“Oh, that’s Otabek. He’s actually a friend of Yurio’s. Still living though. But he’s a master at the technical stuff, and that’s his major. He’s already been scouted by some major talent to work on tours. But… he and Yurio are close so I think he’s hesitant to accept something that would take him away for a year at a time. He does music videos and one off parties, but that’s it right now.”

 

“Wow. I’m, um, well… surprised?”

 

Phichit burst out in raucous laughter. “I know right?!?!?! The smol angry kitten has a friend. That’s not in a gang! Who’d have thought he’d have friends outside of the criminal world? Somehow Otabek meets the cool factor. But don’t be totally fooled. That may have been Yurio’s world when living, but he has a gentle side… just like a kitten. He’s innocent in his own way.”

 

“After talking to him about how he approached this assignment, I’d love to say he’s a beautiful monster… but when I really thought about how he’s approached this assignment I can see he’s not a monster at all. Despite how gruff he is, he’s put a lot of effort into making sure there’s as little disruption as possible… just like Yuuri does.Their approach is very similar, even though their methods are different.”

 

Phichit giggled. He giggled. “Oh, Viktor, NEVER let Yurio hear you say that. Yuuri is totally his idol although he’ll never admit it. And yes, he copies Yuuri’s methods. He’s way more gentle and caring than he ever lets on. We just ignore it and let him preserve his ‘reputation’. It’s quite ironic that deaths by gang wars and criminal elements are actually so gentle for the souls themselves.”

 

“Yes. I’m starting to see and understand that.”

 

Phichit grinned. “Good. You’re picking up fast, but I’m not surprised. Don’t worry Viktor, you’ll find your own way soon enough. I know you understand now… it’s just a matter of finding the style that works best for you.”

 

With a smile, Viktor turned back to the TV. “Ok, let’s get the rest of these graded. Yurio will be here in another hour.” Phichit smiled back at him and they both spent the next hour getting caught up in the performances his students had created.

 

Yurio showed up an hour later, exactly at 10 pm as promised. Viktor had been ready and waiting, not wanting to provoke Yurio, who obviously was always waiting to pick a fight.

 

In silence they rode the bus to the location of the assignment, Viktor mentally congratulating himself that he could now ride public transit without freaking out. He doubted he’d ever get totally used to it, but he could see how it was necessary as a reaper. And he was determined to make things work, public transit included.

 

As they approached the area, Yurio became more withdrawn, pulling his hoodie impossibly further over his head and shrinking down upon himself. Viktor felt the now familiar feeling of the reaper’s mind casting thoughts to all the living souls that would prevent them from being seen or heard.

 

They stood there, leaning against a crumbling brick wall until a figure started to make its way through the darkness. It was the instrument. Taut like an arrow drawn on a bow he was ready for the next person to walk his way. He was ready to assert his own form of dominance on the next person that would come by.

 

The next person would be the assignment.

 

9:22 pm

 

The assignment was staggering down the street, obviously having had too much to drink. Viktor could feel the excitement of the instrument, even from this distance. The assignment had no clue, oblivious to its immediate surroundings and obviously struggling to just walk. He was an easy target to anyone of criminal intent that was in the vicinity. Viktor glanced at Yurio who was just standing nearby, arms crossed and a complacent expression on his face. Viktor tried not to tense up. He knew this would be ok and that it was meant to be. Somehow though, he still wasn’t used to seeing it.

 

As they watched the instrument appeared out of a nearby alley. He was full of anger and energy that needed to be released. He challenged the assignment, demanding money, and the assignment in his bleary state tried hard to comply. Not satisfied, the instrument drew a knife and in moments it was all over.

 

**9:23 pm**

**Assignment complete.**

 

Viktor noted like Yuuri’s reaps, the soul didn’t really struggle, but seemed to accept its fate easily and slipped away without a fuss. Viktor gained a new respect for Yurio. He’d realized logically that this would be the same result as Yuuri’s reaps, but seeing it in person was something totally different.

 

He turned to Yurio, “Ice cream at the townhouse? I don’t know about you, but I’m a little peckish…”

 

Yurio guffawed. “Old man, is that all you think about? How about some chicken wings or something?”

 

Viktor smiled. “I think that can be arranged. Let’s go. The others are waiting for us anyway.”

 

~~~~~~

 

They’d had a good night, laughing and teasing like only close friends can. Viktor was so thrilled that he was included in it, that he was a part of all the familial chaos that was their unit. It almost overshadowed what he had learned from Yurio, but he knew that he’d taken those lessons to heart.

 

The next morning they all woke up to continue with their ‘lives’: Yuuri to run to the studio, and Phichit to teach his students and grade more assignments. Yurio, true to form, had left the night before as soon as the food was gone. Yet, for Viktor, it seemed like something had inexplicably changed; his world had shifted and everything was much clearer.

 

With everyone gone, Viktor was once again left to his own devices. He’d have to head over to the studio later for the never ending paperwork, but he had some time to himself. He found himself immersed in Pinterest, looking at recipes and planning the week’s meals.  
When, he thought, had he become so domesticated? He was used to relying on the personal chefs and nutritionists that Yakov hired to make sure the skaters were always in top shape.  But now...all he needed was a pink apron and he’d be an official housewife.

 

Ummm…

 

Ok.

 

This was actually… ok.

 

Maybe better than ok.

 

How did he end up going from a four time grand prix/ world champion in figure skating to a housewife? Like really??!!!!??? But...yeah, here he was - a housewife...

 

Um… housewife? Househusband? Housespouse?

 

He settled on housespouse. It rhymed, it had a ring to it, he could make it work. With that in mind he resolutely opened the Amazon app on his phone and ordered the most frilly pink apron he could find. If he was going to be a housespouse, then dammit he was going to OWN it.

 

**ChrisDaMan**

What’s the best filling for crepes?  
I’m debating between a kind of chicken marsala  
And a stroganoff. Russian and all  
Or should I do vegetarian?  
Spinach and feta?

  
Um Viktor?

What? I need to know  
At grocery now

Since when do you cook?

Forget that!!!!  
What is the best filling?  
Dammit maybe I’ll do stroganoff and veggie

Well I usually get something with chicken  
In a cream sauce  
But that’s me  
Really I like the sweet ones better

You’d eat only dessert if you had the option  
Come on, help me!  
And Yurio might be coming  
So have to please an angry kitten  
Who is like kind of violent  
And Russian

  
  
I feel like this is a ‘Dear Ann’ letter  
Ok, well, stroganoff should please the Russian  
Maybe veggie like you said?

Yeah, probably the best bet

WTF Viktor. Why am I giving you advice on cooking?  
What happened to *my* Viktor???  
The one who can ‘cook’ toast  
But burns it anyway

Lol Chris  
I have to contribute somehow  
So I learned how to cook  
And look! New apron!

<link>

OMG Viktor.  
You’re… whipped  
I guess Yuuri is into that sort of thing?

CHRIS!!!  
ENOUGH  
I just wanted to know about crepes  
And you’re Swiss...so...obviously...  
And I am not whipped.  
I am a housespouse  
And proud of it!!!

(☛´∀｀*)☛  
Oh Viktor  
You are so precious

ಠ﹏ಠ  
Going back to my shopping now

 

Viktor locked his phone and tried to concentrate on his shopping, choosing to ignore Chris and his jibes. The American stores were becoming more familiar to him, though they could never replace the character of his local store in Russia.

 

He was still enjoying the feeling of last night’s reap; the feeling of an assignment completed and completed well. He had to check in with Celestino and then they could arrange for him to observe the next assignment. Phichit hadn’t mentioned anything so he supposed it would be Mila next. He smiled, remembering the shopping trip they’d gone on, and how silly he’d been. Focussing on clothes instead of the reality that was their job. He realized in life he had been so shallow. But then… with what it was they had to do, what was the harm in taking some enjoyment out of material things? Could he not take his duty seriously and still enjoy what the world had to offer? Mila certainly did.

 

With that in mind, he finished his shopping, enjoying the pleasure and simplicity of planning and shopping for a meal, then headed back to the townhouse.

 

On his way he realized… he was headed home. And that warmth he’d felt before, started spreading in his chest again. With that bolstering his positivity he made a vow to himself. He would get through this. He would get better. And he would be worthy of being in the most elite reaper unit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thoughts? requests?
> 
> Next up: Viktor and Yuuri become closer, Viktor ends up in a predicament thanks to a paperclip (it will leave you in stiches), Mila completes an assignment and a drunk Yuuri goes on a rant about *edges* during the GPF and reveals to Viktor why he's never had closure regarding his death.
> 
> Chapter will post Tuesday sometime between 4 and 7 pm mountain time.


	7. When Everything is Meant to Be Broken, I Just Want You to Know Who I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris”. The title reflects the scene at the end :)
> 
> I’m ignoring legal drinking age because where I am it’s 18 so as far as I’m concerned they’re all legal :p.
> 
> Trigger warning - overdose. And about Mila’s attitude - it is NOT glamorous. And I am not glorifying any deaths that happened in RL. This is simply her somewhat twisted personality showing. Because in this AU human morality does not apply to reapers (since otherwise you’d have no war, violent deaths etc. - this is explored more in later chapters).

**~~~~~~ CHAPTER 7 ~~~~~~**

 

_December 9, 2014_

 

“Alright class, that’s enough for today.” Yuuri clapped his hands, dismissing his class. Viktor had been observing Yuuri’s advanced hip hop class, trying to help by assisting with the music. But really, he just wanted an excuse to watch Yuuri. Although Leo helped out by teaching some classes, Yuuri and Minako always took the advanced courses.

 

As the last of the students left, Yuuri walked over to him with an unreadable look on his face. He handed Viktor his phone and said, “Can you put on the playlist Cool Down #4?” He then turned around, walking to the centre of the studio and loosened his hair from its bun as he walked. He shook it out so it fell across his back, massaging his scalp as he did so. Viktor forced himself to stop staring and hooked the phone up to the sound system. He pressed play and music started over the studio’s speakers.

 

Yuuri turned around, his arm outstretched and beckoned with his hand, “Dance with me.”

 

Viktor.exe stopped functioning. A flush rose across his face as he stared back at Yuuri, speechless.

 

“Viktor...come here, I promise I won’t bite.”

 

That visual… didn’t help. He was rooted to the spot.

 

Yuuri quirked an eyebrow. “I think there’s more expenses that need to be entered if you’d rather do that…”

 

“N-no, no, I’m good!” Viktor jumped at that and walked towards Yuuri. Paperwork was the _last_ thing he wanted to be doing, whereas dancing with Yuuri was undoubtedly at the top of the list of things he _really_ wanted to do. No way he was passing up this chance… he just needed his brain to function again.

 

“I didn’t think the idea of dancing with me was _that_ abhorrent…” Yuuri took his right hand and place his other at the small of his waist, in a lead position.

 

“No, of course not! You just… surprised me is all.”

 

Yuuri chuckled. “This from the man who lived to surprise people?” He paused, sending Viktor into a simple spin and pulling him back in close. “We haven’t had a chance to talk much the last couple days. I know you’ve been with Phichit and observed Yurio, but I wanted to check in, see how you were doing.” He softened his voice and held Viktor more tightly. “No one expects you to be healed just like that - least of all me. And, I don’t want you to ever hide anything from me. We might not have our living family anymore, but we are each other’s family now. I need you to stay close to me, Viktor.” He leaned his forehead on Viktor’s shoulder as they continued their waltz.

 

Viktor leaned his head down, resting his cheek on Yuuri’s temple. Viktor himself didn’t have any family to worry about. Really the only people that would miss him were Yakov and Chris and they were a part of his new world. He couldn’t imagine having to leave living family behind, knowing they were _right there_ and hurting because he’d died and unable to speak to them, to reassure them that he was ok. Yuuri’s family had been very involved in the charity gala; it was obvious how close he had been with them, and how deep their grief was. Yuuri probably didn’t know, but Viktor himself had also been very involved, and had met with and spoken to Yuuri’s family quite a number of times. He had followed Yuuri closely, and almost felt like he knew him personally. Yuuri poured out so much of himself onto the ice, it was impossible _not_ to know him.

 

Viktor’s heart broke for Yuuri. He couldn’t imagine. This must be a wound that wouldn’t heal, a temptation that wouldn’t go away.

 

Yuuri raised his head. “So, tell me how Yurio’s assignment went. He does things quite differently than the rest of us in the unit.”

 

“It was good.” He laughed. “And yes, it was very different. I hadn’t considered how violent deaths factored into things before, so that was something to chew on. But Yurio, despite how he tries to pretend otherwise, cares as much as you do. Once I got past the, uh, method, I realized that he made use of the assignment's routines, and the instrument’s personality. In the end, he only gave things a slight nudge so it really wasn’t much different from the garbage can that you used. Or, um, tried to use before I screwed it up. I mean, it’s not something I think I could do myself, but I can see how different methods achieve the same result. The soul...it was ok. It didn’t fight and went so peacefully. It...was so good to see… after the o-o-other um..”

 

“It’s ok, I know what you mean. And yes, there are many, many different ways to complete assignments. And lots of those methods result in a peaceful reaping, even if the cause of death itself isn’t peaceful. I think now you might understand why I’m so driven.” He paused, looking Viktor in the eye to assess his mood.

 

“I do - I think, anyway. I don’t ever want to be responsible for something like that happening. And more than that, I don’t ever want to cause a soul pain in its passage. I’ll never forget what that soul felt. And even a tiny portion of that pain is more than a soul should have to bear.”

 

Yuuri smiled at him fondly. “I knew that’s how you would feel. So...how are your nightmares?”

 

Viktor looked away, not wanting to admit too much. “I’m still having them, but not all my dreams are nightmares.”

 

“You know, you can come to me any time… whether it’s after a nightmare or before to prevent them. I know you find being close to someone comforting. I thought you already knew that, but maybe it needed to be said since you haven’t sought me out.” As the song came to an end, Yuuri spun him out again, and brought him back into a close hold rather than the traditional ballroom hold.

 

As the next song began they stood in a comfortable silence, just slowly rocking back and forth while Viktor digested Yuuri’s words. “I… didn’t know I’d be welcome. It seemed presumptuous at best.” He paused, gathering his courage, though he couldn’t stop the deep blush that crept over his face, down his neck and across his chest. “But if it’s ok… I’d rather never be away from you, Yuuri.”

 

“Then... don’t be, Viktor.”

 

“Vitya.” Yuuri looked at him questioningly. “Call me Vitya, Yuuri. Viktor is too formal.”

 

Yuuri smiled back at him and it was like the sun itself was caressing him with its touch. Viktor thought the words of the song were particularly apt at that moment. In the arms of an angel, indeed. Yuuri may be death to those that lived, but he was Viktor’s raven haired angel, his dark angel. And even though he had brought about Viktor’s own death, he had still delivered him from an existence that had become numb, and for lack of a better word, grey.

 

“Of course, Vitya. So… we’re good then? You’re staying with me from now on. You can use your room for a walk in closet.” Yuuri smirked at him, gazing at him with a certain sly expression. “After all… your new apron collection needs a home. I trust there’s more than just the one...” At that last comment Viktor turned bright red and stumbled slightly. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to Yuuri’s forwardness. The man constantly surprised him.

 

He cleared his throat. “Since you asked so nicely, I um, think more than one can be arranged.”

 

“Good… I rather enjoyed the scene I came home to the other night…”

 

Unable to form any sort of coherent response, Viktor grinned wildly and pressed his forehead against Yuuri’s and they continued to dance, just enjoying being near each other until the playlist ran down and it was time for Yuuri to head to another class, and Viktor...back to the books.

 

**ChrisDaMan**

 

OMG Chris

OMG

OMG

What???

Please tell me it’s something good

No more injuries allowed

It’s good VERY good

It’s Yuuri

Uh huh, ok Casanova

What’s new?

He…

AAAAAHHHHHHH

Wants me to move in with him

Dude

You already live with him

NO!

CHRIS!

He told me to use my room

For a walk in closet!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(*´艸`*)

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

?

Not funny?

He wants me to stay in *his* room!!!

Yeah, I got that

It’s just… he knows you SO WELL

You need an entire room for a closet

He um…

?What?

Might have mentioned

My apron “collection” needing a home

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So it’s like that huh?

Started the kink negotiation yet?

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

OMFG CHRIS.

Lol, calm down Ice Puppy

I’m just teasing

WHERE.DID.YOU.HEAR.THAT.NAME?

Wow I bet they can hear you yelling in Canada

Lol, Yuuri and I exchanged numbers

Remember? Travel arrangements?

You have to admit it suits you

(´･益･｀*)

You are officially my ex-best friend

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

You know I’ll always love you

Pffft

 

~~~~~~

 

Not sure whether to be more annoyed or amused, Viktor locked his phone and looked around the office. Yuuri’s was the only class that afternoon and none of the other staff were around. It was the perfect opportunity to practice his reaper skills. He knew in theory how to move objects but he hadn’t really practiced. And if he was going to do things the way he wanted to, he needed to ensure that he could do it with absolute precision.

 

Besides, accounting was boring (no offense to accountants, but it wasn’t his thing).

 

He looked around. Maybe starting with something small? A paperclip? That was pretty innocuous. Perfect…

 

… not perfect.

 

After concentrating closely on the paper clip and visualizing it floating just above the desk, he was distracted by a noise outside the office. Instead of dropping, like he expected it to, the paperclip whipped around the room, following his gaze, exactly at his eye level. With razer precision it knocked over everything on the bookshelf and left deep gouges in the wall where Yuuri had placed a short barre. Panicking, Viktor tried looking down at the floor, hoping that it would just drop and settle.

 

Nope.

 

The paperclip drove itself into the floor with enthusiasm, carving out a path that followed Viktor’s every eye movement.

 

He panicked. He didn’t know how to stop it, never mind control it. The paperclip raced over the floor as Viktor eyes flicked everywhere, not knowing what to concentrate on. Finally he decided to stare at one spot, hoping that the thing would just give up.

 

It didn’t.

 

It dug itself a hole.

 

In the office floor.

 

Through the hardwood.

 

Yuuri, his dark angel, with whom he had just shared a tender moment, was going to kill him.

 

Again.

 

Viktor stayed still like he was for the next 30 minutes, waiting for Yuuri to come and...save him from his predicament.

 

~~~~~~

 

Yuuri was still laughing.

 

It wasn’t fair, Viktor thought. He was _trying_ . People shouldn’t be mean when people _tried_ and tried their hardest! It’s not like he’d ever done it before.

 

Finally stifling his giggles, Yuuri turned to him, “Sorry Vitya, it’s just, you’re so _enthusiastic_. I mean that thing went EVERYWHERE! And it’s just a paperclip!!! You will be truly deadly once you figure out control.”

 

Viktor just huffed. “Let’s go home. And not a WORD of this please.”

 

Yuuri gasped out one last chuckle. “No of course not. But um, I think the damage kinda speaks for itself so good luck hiding it from Phichit.”

 

Vikor decided his new mission was to prevent Phichit from visiting the studio until repairs were made. “Well, finals are just around the corner, so he shouldn’t be at the studio anyway. He should be concentrating on his students’  finals instead!” And if he was a bit indignant, well, who could blame him?

 

~~~~~~

 

Sure enough, as he had anticipated, Mila texted him that night about an assignment the next day. After how well Yurio’s went, he was actually pretty excited about it. He trusted Mila and he knew that it was going to be completed successfully. This would not be a repeat of Geneva.

 

Feeling VERY self conscious, Viktor got up to get ready for bed knowing he was headed to Yuuri’s room. Yuuri was still sitting on the couch with Phichit, the two talking animatedly about their respective days. Despite his attempt at stealth, of course Yuuri noticed when he left the room.

 

“I’ll be there in a few minutes, don’t wait up Vitya.”

 

Phichit just gave him the cheekiest and knowing smile that was possible to express.

 

“Mmmhhmm. Ok” Viktor skedaddled, bright red, and totally feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

_December 10, 2014_

 

The next morning Viktor was glad that he’d slept next to Yuuri. For the first time he hadn’t had nightmares. There was just something about being near Yuuri that made him feel better about, well, everything. He woke up feeling more at ease than he had since the events in Geneva.

 

By the time he got himself ready, Mila was already in the kitchen, drinking coffee and chatting with Phichit. Even though the assignment wasn’t until after 3:00 pm, she had insisted that they spend the day together, since they had had so much fun last time. The plan was to spend some time at Wayne State and Mila would show him around. Although they had spent some time with Leo and Guang Hong at the studio, Yuuri and Phichit hadn’t socialized as much as usual since Viktor had joined them. First they were trying to let him adapt to things, and then after Geneva… they were letting him have some space. But he was feeling better now, and looking forward to expanding his social circle.

 

After a quick breakfast, they headed over to the theatre. Mila wanted to introduce him to her roommate Sara. As they walked, Mila began to brief him on the afternoon’s assignment. However, instead of telling him about the assignment, she wanted him to discover it himself. Like Yurio had, she handed him the paper.

 

**Natasha Dower, December 10, 2014, 3:17 pm, Detroit, MI, USA**

 

He reached out with his mind, slowly, so as not to be overwhelmed by the incoming information. He learned the assignment was 42 years old, recently divorced with a son that lived with the father. She was an executive secretary with a demanding boss who often sent her out on personal errands. But there was something… oh. An affair with the boss, no wonder she didn’t mind doing his errands. He came back to his own mind.

 

“Ok. I have a general idea about the assignment and her daily routine. Now what?”

 

“Look again, and this time look at everything _connected_ to the assignment.”

 

He tried again, this time looking for threads that were connected to the assignment. There it was! Linked closely to the affair. Oh, he thought, his eyes widening. OH. Mila had already planted the seed that would lead to the required death.

 

“So her boss is afraid that now that she’s divorced she is going to demand they get married so he’s going to drug her coffee with an overdose of her anxiety medicine and a sleeping pill to make it look like an accidental overdose?”

 

Mila smiled widely and clapped. “Yes! Good job Viktor, you got it quite quickly! Even the motivation. Nicely done.”

 

“That seems...complicated.”

 

“Oh, but it’s perfect! Just like out of a movie. But really, it’s how all the celebrities are dying these days. It’s a glamorous way to go, and Viktor, darling, that’s what I do best… glamorous~!” At that Mila flashed a gleaming smile and grabbed Viktor by the elbow, leading him across the street and into the theatre.

 

Mila and Viktor sat at the back of the theatre, watching the rehearsal that was going on. Viktor thought it was fascinating to watch what went on behind the scenes. It was similar to how he refined his programs, the director stopping scenes and having the actors repeat their lines until he was satisfied. Ugh, he thought back to his earlier years with Yakov. The man had been relentless in drilling Viktor, making him do small sections of his programs so many times in a row Viktor would forget how they even fit into the big picture. This was more interesting though, as it wasn’t just one actor, but many actors playing their lines and emotions off each other to achieve the “feel” of the scene that the director was trying to portray perfectly.

 

Mila had pointed Sara out to him earlier. She wasn’t the lead, but had a strong supporting role. She looked like she might be of Italian descent, with sun kissed skin, long brown hair and violet eyes. Once they were finally done, the door opened to their left, and a young man who looked around 18 came out of the sound booth.

 

“Hey Otabek! Have you met Viktor yet?” The man stopped and looked over at them, shaking his head no. “Viktor, this is Otabek, he’s a student here, specializing in sound and lighting. He’s also good friends with our little kitten.” She looked back at Otabek. “Viktor is roommates with Yuuri and Phichit, so you’ll be seeing him around I’m sure.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” Otabek, apparently having filled his speech quota of the day, turned and continued down the stairs to join the group of students chatting on the stage.

 

“Don’t mind him. He’s not very talkative except around Yurio. Just the stoic sort, I suppose.”

 

Ah. So this was Otabek. He’d wondered what he’d be like after Phichit had mentioned him. He wasn’t surprised that he had an outwardly standoffish nature. He’d bet that just like Yurio, there was a lot more hiding beneath the tough exterior.

 

A couple minutes later Sara came bounding over to Mila. She turned to Viktor, smiling brightly. “So you’re Viktor. Nice to finally meet you! You two want to go grab lunch?”

 

“Starving!” Mila replied in a sing song voice.

 

They ended up in an cafe just down the street that doubled as an art gallery. The food was better than expected and he found Sara extremely easy to talk to. Lunch passed pleasantly with Mila and Sara mostly talking about their courses and upcoming performances and auditions. Viktor didn’t have much to add to the conversation, but the two didn’t seem to mind. It was nice, he reflected, to _not_ be the centre of conversation, and instead be able to listen and learn about others. During his life he was always the centre of attention, expected to lead conversations, and especially expected to talk about himself. It was so refreshing to listen to a conversation about something other than skating, and not be expected to pull the weight of the conversation. Now, every time he met someone new, he felt more and more like an actual _person_ , not the celebrity, the “Living Legend”, with all the expectations that came with the title.

 

Sitting there listening, he felt...light. Like a pressure he didn’t know had been there was finally lifted. How ironic that it seems the thing that ended up giving him the happiness that he so craved in life was… death.

 

Death in the form of Yuuri Katsuki. Interesting, he thought, that it had been Yuuri that had brought his death about, and it was both his actions in doing so and now in the man himself that was the cause of his happiness. He wondered if this had something to do with the will of the universe that everyone kept talking about - and, the Law of Magnetism that Yuuri kept avoiding explaining.

 

“Earth to Viktor…” He blinked to find Mila waving her hand in front of his face. “You spaced out there for a moment, buddy. With a nice sappy smile. Daydreaming about Yuuri again????”

 

Viktor turned bright red. Apparently he was too easy to read. “Oh shush, Mila.”

 

“Not even trying to deny it I see,” she teased.

 

Viktor just pouted as the two of them laughed as his expense.

 

A little while later, Sara left them to head to another class, and Mila decided to take him on a bit of a tour of campus, showing him where Phichit’s office was and familiarizing him with the area since he would likely be spending at least some time there.

 

At 2:00 pm they left and headed out to take care of the assignment.

 

At 2:20 pm they reached the office where the assignment worked, and made their way into the building, making themselves undetectable. By holding the paper, Mila could trace the location of the assignment, and led them to a desk outside a large office on the top floor. There they found the women talking to her boss (or “the instrument” as Yurio had explained, but Viktor just found that word _weird_ and decided to use it as little as possible). She had evidently just returned with coffees, hers being a fancy concoction topped with whipped cream. Her boss asked her to make some copies, and while she was away, they watched as the boss slipped a couple pills into the coffee. Mila whispered to Viktor that the pills were a sleeping pill and anti-anxiety medication that the boss had taken from the assignment’s home a couple days before.

 

When the woman returned, the boss suggested that she head home, as he had cleared his schedule for the afternoon and would meet her there in a bit. Looking thrilled, she packed up, her boss handing her the coffee saying she shouldn’t forget her favourite latte. She smiled, gave him a parting kiss, and left the building.

 

Viktor and Mila followed her to a nearby bus stop, then onto a bus that arrived shortly after. It was now 2:36 pm. The women sipped her coffee slowly, Mila not even having to nudge her to do so. Soon she started looking sleepy, and she started sipping with greater frequency until it was gone, obviously trying to wake up. After a ten minute ride, she got off the bus and made her way into an apartment building across the street. They followed her into her apartment, where she threw down her coat and bag. At this point she was extremely lethargic, her movements slow and exaggerated as she tried to control them. She slumped down in the nearest chair and fell asleep.

 

They stood there watching as the her nervous system slowed down to dangerous levels. Gradually her body shut itself down, until finally her heart stopped.

 

**3:17 pm**

Assignment complete.

 

This time the soul did not as come smoothly out of the body, but seemed to fight a bit. A faint wail came from the mist that was the soul as it finally disengaged. Instead of forming the shape of its physical body, this time the mist just hung there, waiting. Viktor could detect some anger mixed in with the pain that was faintly radiating from the soul. It quickly started to fade, and soon it disappeared to Tir Bheannaithe.

 

Mila seemed to sense his distress. “Don’t worry Viktor, the soul forgot that little tiny bit of angst as soon as it disappeared. You really don’t need to worry. ...So, my darling puppy, where to next? Up for some shopping?” Mila had turned to him, head cocked to the side. He guessed she was trying to assess his mood, still concerned about how he was after Geneva.

 

Viktor smiled back at Mila. “I’m always up for shopping!” He laughed at her and winked. “I don’t think my wallet can handle it, but I’ll make good company, I promise.”

 

They left, arm and arm, Viktor musing silently about the reap. This one wasn’t as smooth as the rest of the unit’s that he had observed, but at the same time, he could see that the soul hadn’t really suffered. The death Mila had arranged wasn’t like the others - it wasn’t a simple nudge of motivation and events already in place, but rather it had taken quite a bit of manipulation to accomplish. It seemed Yuuri and Yurio kept things as close to the natural order as they could, Phichit didn’t mind playing with things a bit, and Mila had no qualms about arranging circumstances to create her own made-for-tv deaths. Now he just needed to figure out where in that range he was comfortable.

 

_December 11, 2014_

 

Yuuri and Phichit were busy all day with their real “life” jobs, so Viktor was cleaning the townhouse in anticipation of the next two days. The Grand Prix Final began that day, with the Men’s short program starting the next day. They were having a viewing party both nights, and luckily this year the dates fell on a Friday and Saturday, so they could have a more elaborate party. Viktor planned on cooking all of the next day, so this was cleaning day. He thought he’d be upset about not being there, and having to watch it on TV...but he wasn’t, at least not yet. He knew even though skating had been his life, he hadn’t been _living_ anymore. He hadn’t been enjoying it, he’d just been going through the motions because that’s what was expected of him and he didn’t know what else to do.

 

Taking a break he pulled out his phone to text Chris. It was 1:00 pm, so it would be 7:00 pm in Barcelona - perfect timing. He didn’t want to distract him the day of the competition.

 

**ChrisDaMan**

 

Good luck tomorrow!

I expect gold my friend

I know u can do it

✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)

Thanks :)

It’s so weird

UR not here

I mean qualifiers ok but

This is the final

UR *always* at the final

It’s all good Chris

It’s what was meant to be

And you know I’m happy now

It’s still hard

I might know ur ok

But no one else does

Everyone is very upset

You had more friends than you know

❤

I admit I’m surprised

No one ever talked to me

But u

Hard to talk to the “Living Legend”

Yes but Chris

That’s who they wanted

Not Viktor

Now people I meet finally want Viktor

Not the celebrity

Viktor…

FORGET ABOUT ME

This is about YOU!

U are going to kick ass!

It still doesn’t seem right

Chris.

It’s fate. The will of the universe

It’s totally *right*

Now go flirt

and pick up a hot guy to take to dinner!

We’re having a viewing party tomorrow night!!!

And Saturday

So I want to see a gold!

❤

I’ll see what I can do lol

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 12, 2014_

 

It was 5:00 pm and people would be arriving soon. They’d invited Yurio, Otabek, Mila, Sara, Leo and Guang Hong. Although the competition had begun at 3:00, Viktor stayed off the internet, not wanting to ruin the experience by knowing the results. They would be watching a local prime time broadcast that began at 7:00. Viktor, still determined to be the perfect housespouse, began putting out some of the food and finished setting up. Phichit had arrived home first, and Yuuri had run in the door somewhat later, looking frazzled and apologizing for being late.

 

Phichit emerged first and flopped on the couch, thanking Viktor for helping with the prep. “You know Viktor, now that you’ve gone all out, everyone’s going to expect this from now on.”

 

“I’m ok with that. I just want to make myself useful. And… I’m kind of enjoying myself actually. I’ve never planned a party like this before, so it was a lot of fun.”

 

Phichit sighed. “You’re just like Yuuri. Boy didn’t know how to do anything but skate and study when he was first called. I had to teach him how to loosen up...which he certainly doesn’t have a problem with anymore…” Phichit had a gleam in his eye.

 

“Oh? That sounds like a few interesting stories, do tell.”

 

Just then Yuuri entered the room, his hair still wet and clinging to the back of his shirt. “PHICHIT. NO. BAD PHICHIT.”

 

“He’ll find out sooner or later Yuuri…”

 

“Later. Later is good.” Yuuri stuck his tongue out at Phichit. Turning to Viktor he said, “Wow, you’ve got everything so organized. Thanks, Vitya. I think I even have time to dry my hair.”

 

Seeing an opportunity, Viktor decided to be as forward as Yuuri had been. “Um... Yuuri, can I do that for you? I used to have long hair, so I um, know how to blow it out properly.” To his embarrassment, his face was red _again_. Why something so simple would embarrass him, he didn’t know but it did all the same.

 

For once, heat also rose to Yuuri’s face. “Sure, Vitya, I’d like that a lot.”

 

Phichit waved at them from the couch. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the door while you lovebirds do your thing.”

 

They turned to Phichit in unison. “PHICHIT!!!!”

 

Phichit just shrugged as he retorted, “Whatever, boys, go enjoy having Viktor _blow you out_ Yuuri.” Yuuri just rolled his eyes and dragged a sputtering Viktor back to their bedroom.

 

A little while later, they emerged, Yuuri’s hair now dry and perfect. Viktor was a little vain about his hair, especially while it was long, and he enjoyed the chance to take care of Yuuri’s hair, which was thick enough to be luxurious without being too heavy. His own hair was in a ponytail, and while it was thicker than it was before he died, it was nowhere near as nice as Yuuri’s.

 

Leo and Guang Hong were on the couch with Phichit. Mila and Sara occupied nearby chairs. Yurio and Otabek had yet to arrive.

 

Mila, turning to greet them looked surprised. “Yuuri~! Your hair!!! It’s gorgeous - what did you do??? OMG I’m so jealous!”

 

Sara nodded, and added enthusiastically, “Me too! Your blowout is perfect!” Both girls got up to run their hands through his hair while Yuuri stood there, enduring it and looking  mildly annoyed.

 

Viktor spoke up. “Oh! I did it. I splurged and bought some of my favourite product. It makes all the difference, don’t you think?” The girls stood there feeling Yuuri’s hair and giving Viktor the third degree on his choice of product and blowout methods ( _seriously,_ Yuuri thought, _there is such a thing?_ ). Luckily (for Yuuri) they were interrupted by the doorbell.

 

“I’ll get that!” Yuuri bolted to the door, happy to escape the attention.

 

With Yurio and Otabek finally there, Viktor put the pirozhki in the oven. He’d left it purposely so that it would be fresh for Yurio. There was something about seeing a (former) countryman enjoying his native food that made him especially happy.

 

With loaded plates and beverage of choice in hand, everyone settled in to watch the competition. Viktor settled on the floor in front of Yuuri, leaning against his legs to support his back. It should feel weird to not be there, he thought. Maybe it did feel weird? But no, when he examined his feelings all he could think about was the prep for the party and seeing everyone finally enjoying the fruits of his labours.

 

But yet.

 

This was the Grand Prix Final.

 

He’d been there for years, winning gold medals the last four. This would have been the fifth. He felt a small twist of wistfulness at the thought, but it was quickly replaced by excitement as the competitors started their warm up. No, he thought, maybe it was actually much better watching on this side of the screen and seeing the men he’d competed against grow and work towards their own dreams.

 

He glanced up at Yuuri, wondering how it was affecting him. Phichit had mentioned skating was the one thing that still triggered him, so maybe he didn’t feel the same as Viktor did.

 

And...no. He didn’t. That was clear.

 

Yuuri was watching the warm up with an intense expression. Almost angry if Viktor had to name the emotion. Throughout the evening, Yuuri critiqued the programs, almost as a coach would. He never _quite_ lost that angry look so Viktor knew there was something else going on. Not that he was going to ask while guests were there. And after what Phichit had told him he supposed he should probably wait until after the competition was over.

 

At the end of the night Chris was in first, and Viktor was thrilled. He looked up at Yuuri, ready to celebrate Chris’s placement, but was met with a rather steely gleam.

 

OHHHHHHH.

 

He knew that gleam. He’d seen it often enough. That was the gleam of a competitor. Yuuri must still be competing in his mind, comparing his own skills, his own programs, to what he had seen tonight. And from what Viktor remembered, Yuuri’s last junior program could have easily competed tonight with a few adjustments to jumps. Yuuri’s step sequences and spins had been at a senior level for quite some time. Once he mastered his jumps he was easily one of the world’s top skaters.

 

As the night came to an end, Yuuri seemed to relax into the company of their friends and forget his earlier mindset. He hadn’t had more than a beer, so he was the least inebriated of the bunch, Viktor included. So Yuuri took it upon himself to ensure that everyone got home safely, calling cabs and loading their friends in with instructions to the drivers just to be sure.

 

While Yuuri took care of transportation, Viktor cleaned up, Phichit having passed out on the couch.

 

Yuuri reappeared and grabbed Viktor around the waist. “Come on, the rest can wait, let’s go to bed.” Viktor couldn’t agree more - he was exhausted after all the work he’d put into the party. He followed Yuuri and they got ready for bed in a comfortable silence.

 

Once safely ensconced in the sheets, Viktor couldn’t help himself. He knew it wasn’t the right time to talk to Yuuri about skating, but he wanted to comfort him somehow, so instead of talking he curled himself into the other man, clutching his shirt, his actions demanding that Yuuri respond. Which he did, wrapping his arm around Viktor and pulling him close.

 

“Goodnight, Vitya,” he whispered, immediately falling into an exhausted slumber.

 

“Goodnight, moy temnyy angel,” Viktor replied, stroking Yuuri’s hair.

 

~~~~~~

 

The next day they all woke up late and headed out to have a leisurely brunch. There would be more cooking to do later, so Phichit and Yuuri wanted to treat Viktor.

 

After brunch they passed the day companionably. Viktor cooked while the other two alternated between relaxing by gaming and cleaning up the rest of the mess from the night before.

 

Then before they knew it, the doorbell was ringing and they had a full house.

 

That night Yuuri seemed more calm; he didn’t have that angry subtone he seemed to have during the short program. That might be due to the fact that Yuuri was drinking, like really drinking. Viktor had been surprised and looked askance at Phichit, but Phichit had just smiled and switched to water. Viktor was still amazed how the two just seemed to know what the other would do without any outward communication, and just adapted to the other automatically.

 

Viktor desperately hoped someday he would know Yuuri that well. He tried to tamp down the flame of jealousy that had erupted. He reminded himself that HE was the one sharing a room with Yuuri so he didn’t have anything to worry about. He turned to concentrate on their guests and make sure that their plates were full.

 

That night the Ladies’ Free Skate was before the Men’s so they watched that too. Mila and Sara had been following the competition closely, which was evident from their enthusiastic comments. Viktor suddenly stilled. He hadn’t realized before, but if this was their yearly tradition, why didn’t they recognize him? Obviously they didn’t, so the others must have used their skills and altered their friends’ memories. Or did he look that different? He didn’t think so. He needed to figure out this memory modification thing soon… it was obviously essential to keep their true nature secret from the living.

 

Ugh. That was something else to practice, he realized. He grimaced, remembering the paperclip. This was...going to take a while.

 

Soon enough the Ladies’ competition was over and it was time for the Men’s. Everyone was happy and relaxed from the alcohol… Yuuri maybe a little more inebriated than he should be. Viktor had to remind himself that apparently they didn’t get hangovers so Yuuri should be ok. But he was still worried for his state of mind.

 

He was different tonight. Last night he was almost angry, but it had been Yuuri’s competitive streak coming out, almost as if he was there himself evaluating the competition before he took to the ice. Tonight, it was a quiet emotion, at least on the surface. Not melancholy...it was _needier_ somehow. Maybe longing?

 

Of course. Yuuri never got to compete at the Senior level. And here he was watching his contemporaries competing without him. Viktor couldn’t imagine how that would feel. He also wondered why Yuuri was torturing himself like this. Surely it would just be easier to walk away and never look back? Never watch another competition, stay away from the reminders. That’s how Viktor had handled his parents’ distance… and their eventual death. It was easier to move forward without a glance back.

 

He looked back at Yuuri, now quite drunk and providing his own colourful commentary, almost mocking the networks commentators. His was more real than the network commentators, probably speaking more to the actual skater’s state of mind and noticing mistakes that only a dedicated skater or coach would pick up on. But despite the over-the-top nature of his commentary that was sending everyone in the room into fits of giggles, there was a fondness to his criticism that was unexpected.

 

Maybe, he thought, it was he himself that had actually been running away, not “moving forward” as he’d justified to himself. His way might be easier in the short term, but he had to admit, it had left him bereft of, well, life, and everything it had to offer. But Yuuri… he embraced everything, pain and all. No one could accuse him of running away. Instead he seemed to hold onto his pain, hoarding it like some kind of prize.

 

Well. It seemed they were two ends of an extreme. Viktor mulled that over a while, absentmindedly watching the performances. Perhaps by understanding each other better they could meet in the middle - Viktor not running away from _everything_ and Yuuri putting some of his hurt behind him. And if they could do that, maybe they both could finally heal.

 

The competition finally came to a close. Viktor was happy to see Chris in first place. He definitely deserved it. He felt a little bad for not texting him, but with the time difference it was too late congratulating him now. And if he was still up… he definitely wouldn’t be needing an interruption from Viktor. He’d text him in the morning.

 

Viktor and Phichit helped their guests out the door, repeating the process of the night before. They both cleaned up what was absolutely necessary while Yuuri dozed on the couch, the alcohol finally having got the best of him.

 

After trying and failing to wake him up, Viktor finally decided to carry him to bed. He scooped him up and received little response aside from a soft mumble. Phichit just laughed at Yuuri and told Viktor that he was too nice and should let Yuuri suffer with back pain the next morning from sleeping on the couch.

 

Viktor placed Yuuri on the bed and tried to coax him out of his clothes so he’d be a little more comfortable. The cold air on his skin finally roused him a bit and he finished the job himself, including pulling on the shirt and shorts he wore for pyjamas.

 

“Yuuri~! Do you want some water? Will that help?”

 

Yuuri just shook his head. “Not human, remember. Will be fine as soon as it’s out of my system.” He laid back on the bed and huffed.

 

“They’re getting better every year, but still… they’re not up to your level. And ...they’re concentrating on tricks, not basic skating. The step sequences and spins look like they’re there just to meet the requirements. They don’t care about them, really. They’re all the absolute minimum that they can get away with.” Yuuri suddenly sat up halfway and pointed his finger at Viktor, swaying as he did so.

 

“But YOU. YOU. No half-assing for you. Now you can _skate_ . I bet you can even do figures. No one does figures anymore, and for crying out loud it’s called FIGURE skating for a REASON. _FIGURE_ SKATING. Edges, dammit. EDGES. No one can control their edges anymore. Their presentation is shit because EDGES.” Yuuri was obviously still very drunk, slurring his rant, though Viktor could mostly understand him.

 

“What I saw tonight - I could have done that. Even as I was I could have competed there. They have no idea what the fuck EDGES are, Vitya. Step sequences sloppy, no emotion, no art - um -ah art -is AHHH. No beauty. You know what I mean. And the spins. Can’t do them on the sweet spot without travelling because they don’t know their EDGES.”

 

“Yes, yes, Yuuri, I agree, I think more work on their edges would be helpful.” Viktor restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Yuuri did have a point, but for crying out loud he sounded like Yakov. And a drunk Yakov at that.

 

Yuuri settled down a bit at that, having perceived Viktor as his ally in his one man battle for _edges_ . He lay back down, staring at the ceiling. “You know, I could have skated as your equal, on the same ice if I hadn’t died. I wasn’t that far off technically from the senior skaters. And because of my _edges_ I surpass them all in everything else.”

 

Viktor responded easily, “You’re right, Yuuri, you would have have been my greatest rival. No one skates like you, and with a few more years of training and experience, I have no doubt I would have had to truly fight for gold.”

 

Yuuri looked up at him and saw nothing but sincerity in Viktor’s eyes. He thought he’d see doubt, or that perhaps Viktor was just placating him...but… Viktor seemed to truly mean what he said. He looked away before continuing. “You know, growing up, you were my idol. I wanted so badly to be like you. Not just to skate like you, but to be your equal in every way. I’ve always found you beautiful, in... different ways as I got older, but… I’ve always wanted to be by your side. To skate on the same ice as you one day and hold my head proudly, knowing that I deserved to be there and that no one could deny that. I wanted to prove it to myself, as well as to my friends and family that supported me so much in my skating, even though they didn’t really understand it.”

 

“But, right when I was finally on the cusp, about to take that next step that would get me there, I died. That dream was ripped from me, and JJ made my death a _joke_ .” He laughed bitterly. “I should have been celebrating, enjoying my achievement with my friends and family, instead I was standing by an deserted temple staring down at my dead body. I was _so, so_ close to my goal. And I didn’t just die and move on forgetting everything, oh no, I had to become a reaper and I had to leave everything I loved. Friends, family and skating. Even my dog - who was named after you by the way. Yet they’re all still there. Just not something that I am allowed to have, to touch, or even to see. Not even my gold medal.” He huffed, a weak attempt at a laugh. “I didn’t even see my family after I’d won. I never got to thank them for their support.”

 

“That gold medal turned out to be the most hollow victory I could imagine.” Yuuri uttered the last statement with a profound bitterness.

 

Viktor gathered him in his arms, forcing Yuuri to roll onto his side. “Oh Yuuri, Yuuri, no, no. You have no idea how much you accomplished, how much you’ve influenced the sport. And… you...you have no idea how much I wanted to skate against you, too. Don’t think I didn’t know who you were. That should be obvious since I recognized you when you came for me. I paid very close attention to you since I expected you to be my biggest competition.”

 

“I just wish...it could have ended on a better note. I guess I feel like I still have unfinished business in life and for whatever reason I just can’t seem to fully move past that. But having you here… it’s helped.” He finally smiled, a small smile, but one that was filled with fondness. “It’s been unbelievable, getting to know Viktor the _man_ not the image on the walls of a child’s bedroom, and not the perfect media ready Viktor. You’re much, much _more_ than I imagined. But still… I wish…” At that Yuuri trailed off, his eyes fluttering shut and within moments he was lightly snoring, finally succumbing to sleep.

 

Viktor’s eyes twinkled as he watched his dark angel sleep, a plan already forming in his mind. It would take some time and … resources… but just maybe he could give Yuuri the closure he needed. He’d have to have a talk with Yakov in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st song they dance to - “Iris”, Goo Goo Dolls (which makes for a fantastic Viennese Waltz)
> 
> 2nd song - “In the Arms of an Angel”, Sarah McLaughlin
> 
> Cafe they eat lunch: http://www.casscafe.com/
> 
> Yes, if you couldn’t guess I used to skate (but stopped when I got to the point where I couldn’t continue without competing). But it was a long, long time ago. Like so long ago, I even had to take Patch classes for edges. Look that one up! ;p
> 
> Next up: Viktor practices his *skills* which evoke memories of 80’s cartoons, People of Walmart, Viktor takes Yuuri out Christmas Eve and important matters are discussed...
> 
> Preview:
> 
> “So… um … that’s why you’re a reaper.”
> 
> Chapter 8 will be posted Friday around 2 pm mountain time.


	8. And I Don't Know Why I Can't Keep My Eyes Off of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from Lifehouse, “You and Me”
> 
> No trigger warnings. Just lots and lots of fluff. Hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~ CHAPTER 8 ~~~~~~

_December 20, 2014_

 

It had been a week since Yuuri’s drunken confession. Neither of them had talked about it, and Viktor wasn’t actually sure that Yuuri remembered it. He had been pretty drunk. Regardless, something had shifted between them. They were comfortable with each other before, but now Viktor found that Yuuri didn’t seem to want to leave his side, and was almost constantly touching him in some fashion.

 

He certainly wasn’t complaining - in fact, it was a dream come true. Every time Yuuri was near he felt warm, a homey type of warmth that filled his (metaphorical) heart and made him feel at peace. When he stopped to think about it, he couldn’t believe how devoid of ‘life’ his actual life had been. He felt ‘alive’ for the first time in many, many years. And beyond that, for the first time he felt loved. Yuuri, Phichit, and Mila showed him their love in so many ways in the small gestures and smiles that were showered on him every day. Even Yurio in his angsty perpetual teenager way showed he cared.

 

He laughed to himself. Yuuri had given him this. A reaper, bringing death, had given him an existence filled with both life and love. He was starting to understand Phichit’s comments about the universe having a sense of humour.

 

Enough of that! Too much philosophizing was not good for anyone. He gave himself a good shake and brought himself back to the reality which was his job at the studio. Ugh, paperwork.

 

He stared back at the papers stacked on the desk and decided he better finish the data entry for payroll since the deadline was looming. He knew Leo for one would kill him if he didn’t get paid on time. While he was finishing up, a notification lit up his phone. It was Celestino. He smiled. It looked like everything was in place for the surprise that he had planned for Yuuri. Celestino had arranged it for Christmas Eve. It would be perfect, he thought.

A little while later, Yuuri came in, having finished classes for the day. “You know Vitya, aside from the, um, paperclip incident, you haven’t practiced any of your skills. We really need to work on that. It’s coming up on two months since your calling, so you really need to start perfecting things. And if we don’t have progress soon, Celestino is going to have to report that to Yakov, and -”

 

“NO! Don’t say another word!!! I know exactly what that means! And I have zero interest in spending any time in Tir Cra, or even enduring a Yakov lecture. Now that I know he’s the mafia boss of the afterlife he’s actually quite scary ...so, ok, tell me what I need to do.”

 

Yuuri had his head in his hands, trying to stifle laughter. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get you past the mafia boss analogy am I? And I have to admit, it is kind of accurate. Well, whatever works, I suppose. So, is there one skill that you want to work on in particular? It’s usually easier starting out if you have an interest in something.”

 

“Well, the telekinesis is fascinating, but...um...maybe I should set that aside for the time being and try something different? Maybe control would come easier in a different area then I can apply that to moving objects?”

 

Yuuri nodded. “That’s actually a really good idea. You might find it easier to learn control with a different skill. So… how about we try implanting suggestions or memory modification? That’s similar, but it’s different enough. And Mila told me how great you did in figuring things out with her reap. So that might be an area where you’re more naturally talented.”

 

Viktor perked up at the suggestion. Yuuri might be right about that. He remembered his experiences with both Yurio and Mila, and it seemed quite easy to enter the mind of the assignment and to find the information he needed. Having spent years performing in front of massive audiences, he was good at narrowing his focus when required… though that apparently didn’t apply to physical objects.

 

“I think that’s a great idea! But how do I practice? You said that was limited to assignments and enforcing Rules 4 & 5.”

 

“Well yes, that’s true, and bonus points for remembering, but there’s some leeway for training so long as you are supervised by your mentor and follow my instructions exactly. It’s my responsibility to make sure that what you do doesn’t end up breaking the rules.”

 

“Ummm… so you’ll be punished if I screw up?”

 

“Potentially, yes.” Yuuri stared at him, his eyes a challenge of pure steely determination. Viktor couldn’t disappoint those eyes.

 

“Then I guess I can’t screw up.”

 

Yuuri smiled. “That’s it, Vitya, with that mindset everything will be fine. Let’s go home and relax and I’ll come up with a plan. I don’t have too many classes tomorrow since it’s Sunday and the last day of the semester. Leo can cover me. He could probably use the extra cash for Christmas anyway.”

 

Viktor sighed internally. He’d JUST finished payroll. “Ok, well let me make the changes to the payroll since Leo gets paid hourly. I’ll just estimate and add an hour to be safe and we can sort out the difference in the new year. But the deadline is tomorrow so I need to do it now.”

 

“My Vitya, so responsible. Who would have thought you’d have accounting on your resume?”

 

Viktor snorted. “Not by choice!!! You totally suckered me into this job, and don’t think I don’t know it!”

 

Yuuri pressed an affectionate kiss to his forehead. “Just helping you develop some marketable skills. After all, you have 50 years at the least and the stipend isn’t going to cover it all. But, I do appreciate the help. Honestly, you’ve been a lifesaver with how busy the studio has become.”

 

“Yuuri. You just called me a ‘life saver’,” Viktor deadpanned.

 

The office rang with Yuuri’s bright laughter. “So I did. Now finish up so we can go home! I need a shower desperately.”

 

Well that image wasn’t helping his focus. Neither was the kiss, but Viktor refused to make a big deal of it, hoping to encourage Yuuri to do it again. Viktor tried to ignore where his thoughts wanted to go in favour of finishing up the payroll entries and transmitting the file.

 

After dinner (which Viktor had prepared ahead of time like the good housespouse he was) they settled in to figure out how Viktor could practice. Phichit of course was dragged into the conversation.

 

They had been debating for a while where the best place would be for Viktor to practice. The criteria were that 1) there had to be enough people around that they wouldn’t be noticed 2) there had to be an easy way to hide things if he screwed up and 3) there had to be lots of opportunities for him to influence people to do things that they wouldn’t normally.

 

All of a sudden, Phichit snapped his fingers. “I’VE GOT IT!!!! Walmart. It must be Walmart. There’s a Supercenter not too far in Dearborn. It’s perfect!”

 

“OMG Phichit! You’re a genious!!! It is perfect. Lots of people, no one will notice if someone acts out of the ordinary, and the people are even more extra than Vitya so it doesn’t matter what he comes up with!”

 

“Um, excuse me….?” Viktor was a bit offended at the last comment.

 

“Oh Vitya, you haven’t experienced America until you’ve gone to Walmart. There’s a whole website dedicated to “People of Walmart”. It’s, like, a thing.”

 

Phichit was nodding enthusiastically. “Don’t worry, Viktor, it’s a great place to try things out. There’s so many bizarre people doing bizarre things that not much will stand out.”

 

“And it’s almost Christmas so it’s open 24/7 and will be packed! It’s a great opportunity.” Yuuri looked pretty pleased with himself, so Viktor figured that it was probably (maybe?) a good idea. “We should probably have a peek at that website so you’re prepared. Walmart has some great stuff, but it can be… an experience. And I doubt you have anything like that in Russia. Actually, now that I think about it, we should probably go later at night. There will still be lots of people but not the crush of Christmas shoppers.”

 

“Yuuri, I still don’t understand Christmas in America. Obviously I can see there’s a shopping frenzy, but it seems like it’s been Christmas since I arrived here and that was before Halloween.”

 

“Yeah, retailers here go nuts over Christmas. In the US it’s a commercial holiday for some and a religious holiday for others. As far as being a family holiday, from what I’ve seen Thanksgiving seems to be the bigger holiday, but Christmas is still a family event. But what is universal is the insatiable need of stores to sell gifts. So to that end, many of the bigger stores have extended hours so people can go after work. So we’ll use that to our advantage for your training. We’ve actually ignored Christmas this year mostly, just because so much has been going on. But usually we exchange a small gift and get a ridiculously big Christmas tree and decorate it earlier in December. We’ll have to do that next year for sure.”

 

Viktor fell silent. He had known that Christmas in general was a bigger holiday than what he was used to in Russia, but because he wasn’t used to making a big deal of it he hadn’t considered that Phichit and Yuuri had been sacrificing their usual traditions for him. He would have to do something about that, he decided. And keep it as a surprise.

 

“Your idea for training sounds great. Can we start tomorrow?”

 

“Of course,” Yuuri laughed, “Phichit, boot up your laptop! We need to introduce Vitya to the wonders of Walmart!” That having been decided, the three of them spent some time on Phichit’s laptop howling over some of the photos posted. Some of them, like the ones where some guy’s pants were too low or a middle aged woman was dressed like a teenager, he just rolled his eyes at. You could see that anywhere. But others, like the one with the llama or the woman with a baby who was wearing a cat head and dancing in the middle of the store just defied all explanation.

 

That night after Yuuri fell asleep Viktor did some research on his phone. While he didn’t know what Yuuri and Phichit’s traditions were exactly, he could replicate at least some of the traditional American Christmas. The traditional meal itself seemed pretty easy compared to some of the dishes he’d learned in trying to give his room mates a piece of their homeland’s cooking. But presents...that was something he would have to put a lot more thought into. And… he didn’t have a lot of time. Thank god for Amazon - and Mila.

 

_December 21, 2014_

 

The three of them spent a relaxing day mostly gaming. Viktor did some cleaning, as was his usual practice, and he and Yuuri went for a run in the afternoon. After Yuuri had found out Viktor was going for a daily run, they had taken to going for a run together whenever Yuuri’s schedule allowed, and Viktor had come to cherish this time with him. Detroit was cold, as was St. Petersburg, so Viktor wasn’t phased by the weather. St. Petersburg was a maritime city, but Detroit was influenced by the Great Lakes, so they both faced the impact of humidity and both got lots of snow, though St. Petersburg definitely won the snow competition.

 

Although he enjoyed his runs, he was starting to go a little crazy without more intense work outs. He’d spent almost his entire life training his body to that of an Olympic class athlete, and he could feel himself getting soft. There had been so much going on the last couple months that he hadn’t noticed as much, but now that things were settling down, he really missed the routine  and the satisfaction that came from physically challenging himself.

 

He glanced over at Yuuri, admiring his lithe frame. Yuuri had managed to find something that soothed his skater’s soul… maybe Viktor could find something too. He knew he needed to be patient while he learned and adjusted to his new existence. But he was a bit impatient too, wanting to settle into his new “life” and begin enjoying it. This learning process was getting frustrating.

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor had seen the photos. He’d laughed at the photos.

 

But.

 

Nothing could have prepared him for Walmart late on a Sunday night right before Christmas.

 

His first thought? The photos were real.

 

They couldn’t be real.

 

He looked again.

 

They were real.

 

He glanced at Yuuri just to see that Yuuri was watching him with an amused smile on his face. Probably waiting for him to break and say or do something inappropriate. But he had been in front of the media for years and was an expert at controlling his facial expressions. He would rise to the challenge and not give Yuuri the reaction he was waiting for. He schooled his face into his media smile and asked brightly, “So where to first?”

 

Yuuri grinned back at him, not fooled for a minute. He shrugged. “It’s up to you. What do you want to try first?”

“Ummm...maybe the disappearing trick?”

 

“That one is a little tricky since you might have to do more than one person at once. We should find an aisle that is not very busy to minimize your exposure. Hmmmm. The plant aisle maybe? This isn’t really the time of year for house plants and the poinsettias are all up front.”

 

“Ok, lead on, oh master of the Walmart experience,” Viktor replied and offered his arm for Yuuri to take.

 

Yuuri, being in a playful mood took him up on his invitation and grabbed his arm, leading him presumably in the direction of the plant aisle. “This way, my dear Walmart neophyte.”

 

As they approached the aisle of choice, Yuuri directed them to the aisle next to it and told Viktor to wait. “I’ll just wander by and see what we’re dealing with and come back to you.” Viktor waited obediently and Yuuri wasn’t more than a few seconds. “Ok, there is only one person so it’s perfect. A 30 year old woman looking at the hideous brown pots about midway down the aisle,” he whispered. “Go now before the situation changes.”

 

Viktor nodded at him and strode to the end of the aisle. He reached out his mind, feeling the mind of the person in the next aisle and concentrated on the suggestion that there was no one around her. Being satisfied that the suggestion ‘took’, he started to tiptoe around the corner and into the next aisle. He spared a glance back at Yuuri who was watching him with wide eyes and his hand covering his mouth.

 

That gave him pause. Why did Yuuri look like that? He shrugged mentally. He couldn’t let it distract him. Focussing his mind to reinforce the suggestion he’d implanted into the woman’s mind, he continued on his way down the aisle trying to make himself as unobtrusive as possible.

 

As he got closer he could feel himself get nervous, but she hadn’t reacted yet, so he figured he was ok.

 

Nope.

 

Why did he have such bad luck?

 

He sucked at this whole reaper thing.

 

He was within a foot of the lady when she whipped around and glared up at him, anger encompassing every thought and every motion a coil of violence threatening to be unleashed.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you???!!!! You some sort of creep or something?” She was screaming at the top of her lungs, getting closer to Viktor and threatening him. “You think it’s funny sneaking up on a woman like that? What the hell is wrong with you, you fucking pervert? Imma going to call security right now. Hell no, I’m going to call the police right now and get your sorry ass busted so you can spend Christmas in jail!!!!”

 

Viktor gawped at her, his mouth opening and closing, his hands raised in defence. This was not what he was expecting at all. How the hell did it go so wrong so quickly?

 

Just then Yuuri appeared. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am. This is my charge. He’s a little funny in the head, if you know what I mean, and sometimes he just acts out those old cartoons. You know the one with the cat and the bird? He’s harmless though, I promise. I’m sorry I let him get out of my sight.” Yuuri was speaking with a funny accent Viktor couldn’t quite place. “Please accept my apologies, I’ll make sure that he doesn’t bother you again. Come on, Viktor, there’s no bird down there. Let’s go this way and see if we can find Tweety.” And before the lady could say anything, Yuuri hauled him away, Viktor mouth still gaping open, not knowing how to react to the situation at all.

 

Yuuri dragged him halfway across the store into the paint aisle then collapsed on the floor and started laughing hysterically. It was a good minute before he calmed down, and Viktor just stood there with his arms crossed, not knowing whether to be offended or glad that Yuuri had saved him from that terrifying woman.

 

‘Oh Vitya, seriously...that was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. I mean, I thought the paperclip was funny… but that…” He started laughing again.

 

“Did you know you were tiptoeing? Like the most exaggerated tiptoeing it’s even possible to do? It was like that kids cartoon from the 80’s. I’m sure Sylvester would have been jealous because that so would have worked to get Tweety Bird.”

 

Yuuri started singing.

 

Normally he liked Yuuri’s singing.

 

But this song…

 

Was unnaturally high, was not suited to Yuuri at all, and dammit it was insulting.

 

He was singing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” The Tiny Tim version at that.

 

Viktor was relatively sure there were no tulips in the plant aisle. Yuuri was definitely mocking him.

 

A few loud guffaws later and Yuuri finally got his laughter under control.

 

“Sorry about the whole not right in the mind thing. I got a reading on that woman and she… well to put it bluntly, is completely ignorant with a mindset stuck at least 50 years in the past. So I said something that she would understand with her limited knowledge and empathy. It seemed the best way to diffuse the situation since she was determined to call the police.”

 

“Wow. …  I’m not even sure how to react. I’m not sure whether to be more horrified at my failure or that there are people out there that accepted your unbelievably offensive explanation.”

 

Viktor gathered himself together. “Ok, so what did I do wrong with the suggestion? I mean obviously it was everything, but something that can help me figure it out.”

 

Yuuri, back to business immediately, proceeded to give him a lecture on technique that even Yakov would approve of. Apparently in some respects, the two were cut from the same cloth. The thought, quite frankly, was a little terrifying.

 

But what he gleaned from the explanation/lecture is that he is still too focussed on himself. To do it properly, he needed to shed all sense of self and let his thoughts meld with those he was trying to influence. He expressed mild distaste to Yuuri, wondering how you could do that with someone who was so far off your own values like that woman. But Yuuri just responded that what he was trying to accomplish went beyond human values, and to be a reaper he needed to accept all parts of humanity, no matter how ugly they were. It didn’t mean approving of them, it meant acknowledging those attitudes and values existed and they were a part of the human existence.

 

“Our job is not to shape humanity, Vitya. We can’t dictate the paths that humans ultimately choose. Our role is bigger than that. It’s to carry out the will of the universe. And no one knows what its ultimate goals are or how it will get there. We just need to make sure that the balance of souls is kept, and try to make sure that souls pass when they should so they stay complete. Morality is not in our job description. It’s a construct of the living and not one that the universe acknowledges. I mean, having said that I personally keep to the values I had when living as much as I can. But I also have come to realize that the bigger picture puts a different perspective on those values.”

 

Viktor thought on that a bit. It was not something that he could come to terms with in the limited time they had that evening, but he needed to at least grasp the concept so he could continue training.

 

He thought about everything he had experienced to date. He thought about the assignments he had witnessed his unit members complete and how different they were. He thought especially of Yurio and how much he cared yet how all his assignments died of violence. But yet he took care of their souls, ensuring each one passed peacefully.

 

And he thought of JJ, their specialist, who had some weird delusion he was royalty. He thought of how he’d had to plan out what was essentially a mass murder, and then Yuuri’s death on top of it. And despite that gave Yuuri what he thought was a deserving death. He had tried despite the fact that Yuuri was bitter.

 

And he thought he might just understand.

 

The point was not to judge. That was not his role.

 

His role was to take care of souls. To treat them like the treasures they were and leave the morality, the path humans would take, up to the will of the universe.

 

He understood now. It actually made perfect sense. “Viktor” had no part in using his skills. When he influenced the living he was merely an instrument of the universe with no sense of self. When carrying out its will he had no need of a sense of self, he was merely the tool that was necessary to ensure everything happened as it should. And that… is as it should be.

 

“Ok. I think I’m starting to get it. Let’s wander around a bit. I think this time I want to try to implant a suggestion so let’s walk while I come up with a plan”.

 

Yuuri stood up finally, brushing himself off, and nodded at him, “Sounds good.”

 

They walked around, taking in the sight of harried mothers out for last minute gifts in the toy section, boyfriends and husbands looking panicked and walking around aimlessly and young couples looking organized with lists in hand. And then of course there were the special sights that screamed photo op for a certain website.

 

While they were walking past the pharmacy, Viktor spotted a totally ordinary middle aged man, dressed in a suit and looking like he’d just finished a hard day of work. He was perusing the pain medication section. Viktor cast out with his mind. He reached out and stopped Yuuri. “This is it,” he said. “I’ve got it.”

 

Yuuri paused, pretending to look at stomach remedies to provide Viktor a moment of cover so he could carry out his plan. Gently, he reached out to the man’s mind, this time being very careful not to let his sense of self enter the man’s mind as well. He let the information and sensation of thought and emotions wash over him, letting his mind meld with the man’s. Sensing he’d reached the right stated of mind, he silently whispered a suggestion to the man, withdrawing after slowly and carefully as if he’d never been there at all.  He turned to Yuuri and in a conversational tone asked, “So did you find the one you wanted?”

 

Yuuri, taking his cue, plucked one off the shelf and replied, “Yes, this should do it. What else did we need?”

 

“Hmmm...let’s see…” Viktor pretended to consult a list on his phone while he kept watch on the man out of the corner of his eye. As if on cue, the man straightened and began walking to the next aisle over. Viktor and Yuuri subtly kept pace, carrying on their discussion about their imaginary list. The man gave a cursory examination of certain items on the shelf, grabbed a package and walked away with purpose.

 

Viktor grinned.

 

Yuuri eyed him suspiciously. “What did you do Vitya? What on earth is he going to do with that?”

 

Viktor just shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. But I wanted to be sure that it was something that I suggested and not something that someone might do naturally. Come on, I have an idea where he’s headed.”

 

Yuuri felt dread. This was not going to end well.

 

They caught up to the man as he was approaching the men’s clothes. He looked around the area, then seeming to find what he was looking for and strode off. He ended up in front of the fitting rooms.

 

Yuuri groaned. He knew what was coming next. He facepalmed. Viktor had seen too many memes.

 

The man enthusiastically approached an employee who was manning the area. Oh no, Yuuri thought. Poor woman. But he didn’t stop it. He wanted to see whether Viktor’s suggestion was successful.

 

As they watched, the man presented the box to the woman and stated loudly and clearly, “Hi, I’d like to try these on. I’m not sure if I need a smaller size.”

 

It was a box of condoms - ‘ribbed for her pleasure’.

 

Without even really thinking about it, Yuuri had made himself and Viktor invisible to anyone passing. He knew what was coming, and he knew he for one wouldn’t be able to control his reaction. He sighed. Viktor was a never ending chain of surprises, that was for certain.

 

Sure enough, the woman’s eyes opened impossibly wide. They watched, snickering, while she tried to decide how to react to this otherwise perfectly respectable ‘gentleman’ presenting her with such a request. Her eyes flattened. Apparently the stress of dealing with hordes of Christmas shoppers had shortened her fuse.

 

“I can tell just by looking at you, sir, that you will be needing the smaller size. Unfortunately however, condoms are like swimwear, only to be tried on over top your clothes and a strict no-return policy. I suggest you consult with the pharmacist concerning measurements and for any other problems you might have.”

 

The man, completely unphased, thanked her politely and headed back in the direction of the pharmacy.

 

Yuuri lost it. He didn’t even try to hold his laughter in, letting it ring loudly in the store. No one would hear him anyway. Viktor, seeing him unrestrained, joined in. Yuuri’s laughter was infectious and he just couldn’t help it. He was feeling pretty proud of himself, too. It was the first time he’d been totally successful at using his skills.

 

Gradually they both calmed down. Yuuri gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Well, I can’t say I necessarily approve of the suggestion itself, but congrats Vitya, that was really well done. You even planned out how he would react to the clerk, completing the scenario to its conclusion. Ok, I think that’s enough for tonight. My stomach is actually sore from laughing. Let’s head home, there should be a bus fairly soon.”

 

They left the store, and Viktor, still riding high from his success, decided he needed to try the disappearing trick again. He felt like he finally understood how to do it, and wanted to try again. So as the bus neared, he reached out to the driver’s mind, melding with it like he had the man from earlier.

 

The bus approached and the driver opened the door, having seen them from a distance. Seeing no one, he closed the door, thinking he must have been imagining things, and proceeded down the street. Yes, Viktor thought, he did it! He looked at Yuuri with a grin, hoping to see pride in his face.

 

Not pride. Irritation. Frustration? Annoyance? Viktor’s heart sank. What did he screw up this time?

 

Yuuri twitched an eyebrow at him. “That was great Vitya, you figured out how to be unseen. But do you really think that was a good idea when the busses only run ONCE AN HOUR at this time of night???!!!!!!???”

 

Ugh. “Taxi?” he replied hopefully.

 

“No taxi for you, Viktor. You’re poor, remember? At least we can’t actually freeze to death.”

 

“I’m sure we can find ways to stay warm, Yuuri.” Viktor winked at him, hoping to salvage the situation somehow. He winced internally, noting Yuuri’s use of Viktor, not Vitya.

 

“After the stunts you pulled tonight? In your dreams, Nikiforov.” Yuuri softened his declaration with an amused smile, but made no move to get closer to Viktor.

 

He sighed. He supposed he deserved that. Resigned to a long wait, he pulled his coat closer and pulled on his gloves.

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 23, 2014_

 

The next day, although Yuuri didn’t have classes, Viktor ushered him to the studio to finally fix the damage to the office. Although he loved the fact that Yuuri never wanted to leave his side, that was not going to work today. Viktor had plans he needed to put into motion if he was going to surprise him.

 

He had contacted Mila since he knew he was going to need some help, as well as her advice. He’d had the presents delivered to her place, and the two of them had spent a lot of time planning the whole thing to make sure it was *perfect*. Though these days, Viktor was defining ‘perfect’ as ‘not a complete disaster’.

 

The plan was to hold Christmas dinner at Mila’s so he could hold off on the surprise for as long as possible, and also so that they could celebrate it with the whole unit (minus JJ of course). Even Celestino had agreed to come. Luckily, while the townhouse didn’t have any Christmas decorations, Mila and Sara’s condo was filled with them. Classic and elegant, just like the two ladies themselves. So that was one thing he hadn’t had to worry about.

 

With Yuuri occupied for the day, Viktor and Mila headed out to get groceries. It seemed Mila was just as excited about his Christmas surprise as Viktor was. Except for Yuuri’s special present.  She was a little hesitant about that.

 

“Viktor - SKATES!!!! But are you sure? I mean it’s such a big thing for him.”

 

“Yes, I’m sure, Mila. After the Grand Prix he opened up quite a lot...though he may not remember it since he was drunk. But I think… this will help things. And you don’t know how skaters are about their skates. It’s not like he can just pick up a pair at a sporting goods store. He’d probably break his ankle trying to skate in anything he wasn’t used to. I got Yakov to do some snooping about what kind of skates he’d had and then he and Celestino handled the details. I’m actually quite lucky they managed to find the right boots in stock. Blades are easy, boots not so much.”

 

Mila chuckled. “I’m not even going to pretend I understood much of what you just said. But, of anyone, you would know the best. None of the rest of us had anything like that in life, I mean something we had to hang on to. In general we were all...well, normal. Not world class athletes or anything special. So it can be really hard to figure Yuuri out.”

 

They continued on, picking out a turkey, and ingredients for all the various sides that Mila assured him were necessary for the perfect traditional meal. He even got ingredients for pirozhki since that was the only way he’d been able to convince Yurio to come.

 

He thought back to the pile of presents at Mila’s place. She’d helped him pick the presents for the rest of the unit. They only exchanged small gifts, recognizing that in the afterlife they could be around for a really long time so it was only practical.  Yurio had been the easiest - he’d gotten him a black hoodie with leopard print accents. Phichit got a BluRay of the latest movie he wanted to see. Celestino was a bottle of expensive limoncello and Sara (who was minoring in musical theatre) a pair of legwarmers Mila said she’d had her eyes on. For Mila herself...well, true to her personality, she’d picked it out and Viktor just paid her back. It was a hairclip, and Viktor had to admire her taste. It was from an antique market, a 1930s piece, a metal hair comb with ivory Swarovski pearls and crystals.

 

And for Yuuri they headed to a local craft market after finishing at the grocery store for something small. He ended buying a blue scarf, handmade and really, really soft. His real present was going to be the skates and an evening together, but this would be something for the gift exchange.

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 24, 2014_

 

Viktor was filled with nervous energy. He was wearing his apron and in the kitchen making pirozhki, deciding that it was the least suspicious thing he could be doing. Thankfully Yuuri and Phichit were totally unaware of his nervousness and were deeply engaged in Call of Duty with Yurio joining in online.

 

They spent most of the day like that, and Viktor gradually started to unwind, the familiar motions of making the pirozhki soothing his nerves. Finally, later in the afternoon while Phichit was taking a break for a snack, Viktor approached Yuuri.

 

“Um, Yuuri, I wanted to take you out tonight if that’s ok.”

 

Yuuri grinned. “Are you asking me out on a date, Vitya?”

 

“Well, it is Christmas Eve, and um in Japan that, uh, means weshouldspendittogetherright?” There it was again. It seemed Viktor lost his ability to speak coherently whenever it came to Yuuri. And the suave playboy he was known to be? Nowhere to be seen. He blushed, flustered, and stared at the floor.

 

A hand grabbed his and laced their fingers together. He looked back at Yuuri, who was looking back at him with a more serious expression than before. “Vitya, I’d love to. It sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve, what do you have planned?”

 

“Oh, I’m not spoiling the surprise! But, it includes dinner so we should leave around six or so. I made Phichit dinner, so he just has to reheat.”

 

Yuuri laughed, pulling Viktor in close to him. “You know, you don’t have to take chores around here that seriously! We did manage on our own before, not that we don’t appreciate it.”

 

“But Yuuri~!!! I want to be your housespouse!!!” Viktor spewed the sentence out with a whine. With NO chill. Then he realized what he had just said, and freaked out. Spouse… that was way too presumptuous.

 

“OMG. I didn’t mean it that way. I just um meant that um well...” Viktor was panicking. Was this what anxiety felt like?

 

“...so, what exactly did you mean then, Vitya?” Yuuri was pulling on his braid, eyebrow raised.

 

Viktor knew that look. That was a dangerous look. He shuddered. He was in trouble. Again. But this time he wasn’t sure just what kind of trouble.

 

“I just meant, um that, you know, that’s what I do here… to contribute. Since you two are taking care of me, I want to do something for you in return. I want to take care of you, Yuuri, until you retire. As a reaper I mean.”

 

At that Yuuri’s eyes were bugging out of his head, and he looked like he was going to pull his braid right off his head.

 

Viktor cleared his throat, even more mortified if that was even possible. “Ummm, did I say something wrong?”

 

His question was answered by Phichit’s roaring laughter coming from behind him. “OMG Viktor, you have NO idea what you just said. But really, it was the perfect thing to say, isn’t that right, Yuuri???”

 

Viktor cautiously looked over to Yuuri, who had turned a vibrant beet red, much to Viktor’s surprise. Well, this was a change, he thought. He never made Yuuri flustered, it was always the other way around. He wondered what it was he had said.

 

Instead of responding, Yuuri turned on the spot, his braid swinging wildly, and walked back to the couch, flopping down and grabbing his controller. “We only have until 5:30 Phichit, so if you want to finish this up, I suggest you start now.”

 

~~~~~~

 

At 5:55 Yuuri appeared back in the living room, ready to go. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a wine coloured button down, opened enough at the chest to let his vneck underneath show through. His hair was loose, slightly kinked from the braid he’d had in earlier. He was… perfect, Viktor thought.

 

“So, this ok for what you have planned?”

 

“Absolutely, as long as you can move in those jeans.”

 

“Um...ok… that’s a bit odd but yes they’re totally comfortable.”

 

Viktor smiled. “Good, let’s go then.”

 

Viktor was splurging that night… and Mila might have helped a bit. A cab took them downtown to a Brazilian steak house where he had made reservations. Although there was a restaurant right at the rink, he didn’t want to give away the last surprise right away.

 

Dinner was...perfect. Conversation was always light and easy between them, and they enjoyed each other’s company thoroughly. The food was good too. A bit heavy for a dancer’s diet, but at the very least Yuuri could avoid carbs. At the end of the meal, they both were satiated, and a little warm from the bottle of wine they’d shared.

 

As they left the restaurant, Yuuri stretched. “Thank you, Vitya, that was the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve.”

 

“Oh, but we’re not done yet, my Yuuri.”

 

“But what else is there to do?”

 

Viktor smiled, a rare smile that reached his eyes as they twinkled. “You’ll see. Just come with me.” And with that he lead him to where the embarkment point was for the carriage rides.

 

When it was their turn, Viktor spent most of the ride watching Yuuri’s reaction. And it was much more than he had expected. Yuuri was entranced, watching the sights of the city and the Christmas lights with the wonder of a child. Viktor was overcome with emotion seeing Yuuri like that. The ‘almighty reaper Katsuki’ that was so revered (and rightly so), the Yuuri Katsuki who was death itself. The reaper whom the universe chose as the best of the best to carry out its will. Yet the same Yuuri who brought death as if it was the sole purpose of his existence was embracing a carriage ride with the innocence of a child, the childlike happiness overflowing and shining like a ray of sun through a thundercloud. Viktor didn’t think he’d ever get over how amazing Yuuri was.

 

All too soon the carriage ride came to an end and they disembarked. Yuuri, still caught up in his experience, hugged Viktor tightly.

 

“Thank you so much, Vitya, I can’t even tell you how happy I am right now.”

 

“I have one last surprise for you, moy temnyy angel. And… just give it a chance, ok?”

 

Yuuri frowned at him with the last statement, obviously cautious.

 

"Come on! It will be fun, I promise!” Viktor grabbed him by the hand and lead him to the rink.

 

“Um, no Viktor, no, we shouldn’t do this. I-I-I can’t.”

 

“It’s ok, I cleared with with both Yakov and Celestino. As long as we’re just skating with no tricks, it’s fine. And… I have an early present for you.”

 

Yuuri still looked agitated, but resigned. “Ok, Vitya, if that’s what you really want, I’ll do it for you.”

 

Viktor beamed at him, and pulled him the rest of the way to the entrance gate. After some discussion with the attendant, two large bags appeared, and Viktor took them, guiding Yuuri inside.

 

Looking inside both bags, Viktor handed one to Yuuri and waited with bated breath while Yuuri took the skates out.

 

He took the first one out, handling the skate reverently, his hand brushing over the leather and his finger testing the edge of the blade. Overcome with emotions, tears were slowly falling down his face.

 

He looked up at VIktor, asking in a hushed voice, “But, how did you know? How did you know what my skates were? Who would even know?”

 

Viktor smiled at him, “Yakov found out for me. He has amazing resources, you know. And Celestino picked them up.”

 

“Oh Vitya… thank you.” He wrapped his arms around Viktor, still sobbing. “I never thought… I didn’t think I could do it again, not by myself.”

 

“Well, you have me now, and we can go skating any time you want. There’s even a rink in Dearborn that is out of the way where we can book some private ice time.” He squeezed Yuuri tight then leaned back. “Come on, let’s get these on and get out there.”

 

They quickly laced up their skates with the precision borne of familiarity, and headed out to join the throng of people. As they stepped onto the ice, Viktor had eyes only for Yuuri. With the first step his shoulders had relaxed, and with a few strokes he looked downright serene. He turned to Viktor and with a bright smile, reached for his hand.

 

“You know, one of my biggest dreams growing up was to skate on the same ice as you. I worked so hard to make that day come… and then when I died it became impossible. Three years ago I never would have imagined that dream could come true. Even though I’d wanted to compete against you, this… it’s enough. More than I’d ever thought I’d ever have. So, thank you, Vitya. This is… well, no one could have done anything to make me happier.”

 

Viktor pulled him in closer, hugging him from the side. “Anything for you, moy temnyy angel.”

 

“Are you ever going to tell me what that means?”

 

“Moy temnyy angel? It means ‘my dark angel’.”

 

Yuuri’s lips twitched. “Sappy, but I won’t deny it’s rather appropriate.”

 

“I think it suits you perfectly!” Viktor smiled back at him, and they continued to skate lazily through the crowd, with arms wrapped around each other.

 

After a few minutes of savouring the experience, Yuuri finally spoke, softly so only Viktor could hear. “So… I guess it’s time I told you about the final Law.”

 

“The Law of Magnetism.”

 

“Yes, that one.” Yuuri took a deep, steadying breath before continuing. “The Law of Magnetism is a really rare phenomenon. The Law holds that certain souls are attracted to each other through a magnetic force and these souls will always seek each other out through both life and death. When together the force of the magnetism creates ‘soulheat’ which is felt as a sense of love or happiness or ‘completeness’.  It’s basically the concept of soulmates. And... souls that have mates who are pulled off the wheel are also pulled off the wheel when they next die. So… um … that’s why you’re a reaper.”

 

“Because you are.”

 

Yuuri blushed, a deep red that flooded not just his face, but his neck and chest too. He couldn’t look Viktor in the eye. “It seems so.”

 

“You know, I think I already knew that. Well, I suspected anyway. But to hear the truth...well, I don’t think anything could make me happier, Yuuri. Ever since I died, I’ve felt like I’ve...come home somehow. Now I know why.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Yuuri’s head.

 

At that Yuuri leaned into his shoulder and sighed contentedly. They skated like that, pressed closely together, doing lazy laps around the rink in perfect synch. Nothing more needed to be said. All that was between them, that hazy hot energy called soulheat, did the speaking for them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Good? Ok? It sucked? Thoughts? Feedback?
> 
> Viktor’s tip toe:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/03/23/1d/03231d6a61d89a68fd520452d3402a3c.jpg
> 
> Where they ate:  
> http://www.texasdebrazil.com/
> 
> And legit Yuuri would have wanted his skates. I’ve been skating with the same boot and blade combo since I was 11 (I quit at 12), and tried once to skate in rentals and ended up on my butt too often because the picks weren’t right, the edges weren’t deep enough and the rocker was different. NEVER AGAIN lol.
> 
> Next up: Christmas shenanigans galore and Yuuri buys Viktor a special present ... I think Chapter 9 is my favourite chapter so far!
> 
> Chapter 9 will be posted Tuesday again somewhere between 4 and 7 pm mountain time. May be switching to once a week after chapter 10 as life is crazy right now.


	9. 'Zat You, Santa Clause?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Louis Armstrong, “‘Zat You, Santa Claus?”
> 
> LISTEN TO THIS FIRST. Seriously. It sets the mood. I made my sig other (who isn’t a beta reader but puts up with me) listen to it and he said it made everything better… as in more fun.
> 
> Programming note - I’ll be posting on Tuesday only for the next bit. RL has descended on me and in my meagre spare time I can’t write fast enough to do 2 updates a week. Fic will be 15 chapters - 14 really, and 15 is an epilogue that will be both poignant and fluffy. 
> 
> Trigger warning: falling and head injury but I don’t want to ruin it to give more detail.

~~~~~~

 

_December 25, 2014_

 

Viktor woke up early Christmas morning, despite going to bed late and all the activity the day before. Between the previous night’s revelations and the surprise he had planned for the day, he just had too much on his mind. And waking up with Yuuri at his side was the perfect birthday present. Not that he was going to mention to anyone that it was his birthday. Today would be about them, not him.

 

He just lay there, savouring the warmth of the sheets and reminiscing about his evening with Yuuri.

 

It had gone exactly to plan, and Yuuri had reacted to skating exactly as he’d hoped. He had thought that what Yuuri needed was someone who understood his passion, understood what he’d had to leave behind. Remembering all Yuuri had told him, both while sober and drunk, he figured that Yuuri must feel like he’d given up before reaching his goal. Not that dying could ever be interpreted as giving up, but Viktor understood how he felt in a way. He was still there, still had a body, yet couldn’t skate, couldn’t do what he was supposed to, what he was expected to. It was the weirdest sort of retirement ever.

 

Not that Viktor was upset. Unlike Yuuri, when he had died he had begun feeling unfulfilled by skating, and even maybe starting to resent it and the expectations that came with it. But Yuuri hadn’t reached that point yet. He had had his dreams ripped away from him when he’d only just tasted success. Which was hard enough as it was… but to not be allowed to skate in case he was recognized… to not even be able to indulge in what he loved the most… that had to have been a hard pill to swallow. He could see now that JJ had made things worse. If he hadn’t given Yuuri such a public facing death, the gala would never have happened. Yuuri’s image had been plastered everywhere across the world wherever the gala was hosted, a face representing the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that people could rally around. If he’d died more anonymously...well, he wouldn’t have had to be so careful.

 

But now, enough time had passed that no one who didn’t know Yuuri personally would ever recognize him if he went to a local arena. There was no reason that he couldn’t indulge himself a little, and at least take back something that had been stolen from him. And Viktor was determined to make that happen.

 

He turned carefully to look at his dark angel sleeping beside him, not wanting to wake him up. He looked so peaceful, face completely at rest and even a little trail of drool making its way to the pillow. How did he do it, he wondered? How did he face this everyday and not just cope, but excel? No doubt about it, Yuuri possessed an inner strength that went beyond what most humans could grasp, let alone aspire to. With a soft smile on his face he reached over to stroke his hair, which had become knotted during the night.

 

Then the memories of last night hit him in full, and his hand stuttered, pausing in midair.

 

This wasn’t just Yuuri.

 

This was his soulmate.

 

Yuuri, whose soul was bound to his own. Despite what they did in life (or death) or even the next life, they would be drawn together.

 

For an eternity.

 

Now that...was big. Viktor knew they loved each other, though they hadn’t defined that love exactly. But… this went beyond a normal relationship. A normal relationship was flirt, date, fall in love and maybe get married if things went that way. But this seemed to be skipping to the last step without regard for any of the others.

 

And… omg… Viktor just realized that Yuuri had had to kill his own soulmate.

 

No wonder Yuuri hadn’t told him despite Yakov’s ‘joke’ that first day. No matter how certain he felt about Yuuri, it was a lot to take in. After all, it had only been a couple months. Two to be absolutely exact - he’d died October 25th.

 

But regardless, if there was one thing he was sure about it was that he knew that his heart would always belong to Yuuri, and he wouldn’t change that for the world.

 

He continued stroking Yuuri’s hair, thrilled when Yuuri unconsciously smiled and leaned into his touch. They stayed like that until Yuuri finally woke up.

 

~~~~~~

 

After a simple breakfast, the three settled in the living room with their coffees. Viktor convinced Yuuri to sit on the floor in front of him so he could experiment with a complex braid. He adored playing with Yuuri’s hair.

 

Phichit, looking up from his phone, was the first to break the comfortable silence. “It’s so nice to have a lazy morning,” he said, stretching. “Shall we do presents now or do you guys want to wait?”

 

“Well, actually, after Yuuri told me that you haven’t done any of your usual Christmas traditions this year, I wanted to do something for you. So Mila and I put everything together for a little gathering for the unit. We’ll need to head over there after lunch so I can start cooking.”

 

“Ah!!! That explains the pirozhki yesterday! I was wondering.” Then Yuuri groaned. “Please tell me that you didn’t invite JJ. I don’t think I can deal with him and his ego today.”

 

“Me neither. I have an assignment tonight and dealing with that idiot will put me off my game. You’re coming, right Viktor? It’s scheduled for just after six.”

 

Viktor chuckled. “Don’t worry, no JJ. Just us, Yurio, Celestino and of course Mila and Sara. Yurio might invite his buddy Otabek, but that’s it. And yes, Phichit, count me in. I haven’t seen you in action yet. I can time the turkey so it’s ready for 7:00 - is that enough time?”

 

“Oh yeah, we’ll just take the car. Actually, better leave the presents in the trunk and we can pretend we had to go get them.”

 

“Oh! Don’t forget games! This is going to be awesome!!” Yuuri turned to Viktor. “Thank you, Vitya,” he said sincerely, “You really didn’t have to, but thank you. It’s going to be a great day.”

 

Viktor smiled at them both, his eyes shining. Wonderful, he thought. That was exactly the reaction he was looking for. He wanted so badly to make Christmas perfect for them.

 

**ChrisDaMan**

 

Happy birthday!

Happy♪ヾ|*ﾟ∀ﾟ*|ﾉ” Birthday♪

And Merry Christmas!!!

*☃∘ˁ†∘✭‿✭∘†ˀ∘☃*

I know I already said congrats

But seriously

You were FANTASTIC

At the GPF

¡¡¡( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و!!!

It’s still not the same

Without you

Kinda felt like cheating

.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

NO

You earned that on your own

ლ(・﹏・ლ)

(hugs)

So any special plans today?

Nope, just the usual

And you?

Seduced Yuuri yet?

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Umm... sort of?

Xmas eve super special in Japan

And got him skates!!

◦°˚\\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

And…

Dinner. Carriage ride. Skating

It was…

More than I could have imagined

He’s perfect

～(^з^)-♡

You’re so in love

I won’t deny it

Not that we’ve talked about it exactly

So don’t go there

Lol ok

Just make sure you talk

You deserve to be happy Viktor…

I am…

Don’t worry about that

If there’s one thing I can say for certain this...

Is the best thing that’s ever happened to me

Wow

ヽ(^◇^*)/

And plans for today…?

Yeah gotta go

Doing dinner and a party

An “all American” Xmas

As much as I can anyway

Have fun!

◦°˚\\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

 

~~~~~~

 

After a light lunch (Viktor warned them to leave room for dinner) they packed up the presents and Yuuri’s gaming system and headed to Mila’s.

 

Viktor was pouting. “I still don’t understand why we have to take the bus all the time when we have a car.”

 

“I have a car, Viktor. You have a bus pass,” Phichit responded with a raised eyebrow, looking at him in the rearview mirror. “And I choose to be thrifty and environmentally friendly.”

 

Viktor sighed and Yuuri laughed at him. “Chin up, buttercup! You can start saving up for a car soon enough. You might have to put up with an economy car though…”

 

“Yuurrrrriiiii… why are you always so cruel to me?” he whined.

 

At that Yuuri turned to look at him from where he was sitting in front. His voice dropped, low and sultry and he purred, “I don’t know Vitya… there’s just something about you that just seems to bring out that side of me.” He finished his statement with a smirk, leaving Viktor sputtering. “Oh, that reminds me… I got a rather special present for you that you should open as soon as we get there. You’ll need it for this afternoon.”

 

Viktor swallowed. That sounded...promising. Maybe? Yuuri was a master at keeping him off balance. He never knew what to expect from him. Phichit was ignoring the whole conversation. So either he knew and was keeping mum, or he was ignoring them as he tended to do sometimes.

 

“That...um, sounds good?” He had no idea what else to say, his heartbeat seeming to be in his throat, making it difficult to speak.

 

Yuuri didn’t respond, just smiling widely.

 

“Geez Yuuri, you look like the cat that got the canary,” Phichit finally piped up. “Must be a pretty awesome present!”

 

Ugh, he though. When would the Sylvester and Tweety references end? He really wanted to forget about that whole incident. He decided to ignore them both and just stared resolutely out the window until they arrived at Mila’s.

 

~~~~~~

 

After everything was unloaded from the car (except the presents of course) and the game console set up, Yuuri cornered Viktor in the kitchen where he was starting to take things out of the fridge. He held a long flat white box, wrapped with a dark pink ribbon.

 

“As I said, you might need this,” Yuuri said, eyes dancing. He raised his hand to Viktor’s shoulder and slowly ran his hand down his arm, ending by gently gripping his hand and bringing it to the box.

 

“Merry Christmas, Vitya. I’d say happy birthday too, but now you’re a reaper, so we’ll celebrate your birthday on October 25th. We celebrate the day we became reapers, not the day we were born in the last life.”

 

Viktor nodded. It made sense. Now that he was aware of the length of the soul’s existence, it really didn’t make sense for a reaper to celebrate on a day that was in their last life. But now he was really curious about the present in his hand. He carefully undid the ribbon, noting Yuuri’s eager gaze.

 

Finally having untied the ribbon, Viktor lifted the lid of the box unveiling a massive amount of tissue paper. Carefully placing the tissue paper aside in anticipation, he finally reached the contents.

 

It was an apron.

 

He gaped.

 

How exactly was he supposed to take this? Yes, Yuuri had said he liked his pink apron. And he wanted Viktor to get more. But this…

 

It said “Wifey”. In rhinestones.

 

Was this sarcastic? After Viktor’s housespouse blunder he didn’t know how to take it. He seemed to have accidently hit on something serious, but he didn’t know what. Was this Yuuri’s response? He had no idea how to react.

 

He schooled his expression into a careful neutral happiness, and turned to Yuuri, hoping to have some clue as to what Yuuri’s motivation was, and how he should respond. He decided just asking directly was probably the best bet.

 

“Ummm. Yuuri… I love it, and of course I’ll wear it, but I’m just wondering what made you think of this specifically.”

 

“Well, Vitya, you’re the one that declared yourself to be a housespouse. So I’m just letting you … embrace that role.”

 

That wasn’t helpful, Viktor still couldn’t tell whether Yuuri was teasing him or not.

 

Before he could decide how to react, Mila jumped in. “Oh, Viktor, let’s get that on you! It’s time we started on the appetizers, and the trifle so it sets in time for dessert.”

 

Rather thankful for Mila’s interference, Viktor complied with a smile and followed her into the kitchen.

 

“You looked a little...gobsmacked… for lack of a better word. I thought I should rescue you.”

 

“THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!” Viktor was ‘shout whispering’, not wanting to be overheard for obvious reasons. ‘I totally slipped up the other day, then trying to get out of it apparently made things worse and, well, I still don’t know quite where we’re at.”

 

Mila gave him a kind smile. “And what did you say, Viktor, darling?”

 

“Well first I called myself a housespouse. Ummm… Yuuri’s housespouse. Then I tried to explain that I just wanted to contribute since Yuuri’s being such a good mentor, and so I want to take care of him until he retires.”

 

Mila’s smiled cracked. Her composure started to slip, as Viktor watched, still wondering what the hell the big deal was.

 

“Ok, let me get this straight. You, um, said you’ll take care of him until he retires??????”

 

“Well, yes. Since we’re part of the same unit and all I figure we’ll be around each other until each of us retires. Am I wrong?”

 

Mila lost it, totally, completely and utterly. Viktor was starting to get offended. And frustrated. He really didn’t see what the big deal was.

 

“Thanks a bunch, Mila. Apparently it’s this giant joke at my expense. Phichit laughed too. Can you please explain what the big deal is?”

 

He waited as Mila caught her breath. “I’m sorry Viktor. I realize that you wouldn’t have any reason to know. But what you said to Yuuri… well, it’s like a marriage proposal in Japan.”

 

Oh. OHHHHH. Wow, he’d really stuck his foot in it. He could feel the blood rushing to his face and knew that he probably looked like a Russian version of a lobster, fully cooked.

 

“Ah, I see. Um, well, that’s not what I had intended obviously, so um… should I apologize to Yuuri then?”

 

“No, no. I’m sure he knows that you didn’t mean anything by it. Although… he did get you that apron so obviously he’s not that offended by the idea. So congrats, I guess, Viktor. You’re the first one that Yuuri’s ever shown any sort of interest in.”

 

From her response, Viktor deduced that Yuuri hadn’t mentioned the whole Law of Magnetism thing to her yet, which was fine with him. He was pretty sure Phichit had figured it out since he’d been present when Yakov mentioned it, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for everyone to know about it yet.

 

But… marriage.

 

Now the idea was taking root. Thinking back to his musings that morning, it seemed like it was the logical next step for them to take.

 

No, he had to talk himself down. It was much too soon. After all, he had only known Yuuri for a couple months, even though those months seemed like an entire lifetime. But it didn’t feel too soon. He knew they were bound together, but he wanted Yuuri to be bound to him in every way he could have him. But...he couldn’t ask Yuuri to marry him, could he? Could they even get married? I mean, he supposed that yes, their human identities would be married, but did that even apply to them? What would that mean for two reapers? Would Yuuri even want that? Yes they shared a bed, and were physically affectionate but Viktor had no idea if Yuuri wanted anything past that. There were hints, he thought, but nothing he could say was anything definite.

 

Nope, he decided. He wasn’t going to push it. They had a long time to figure this out, and he wasn’t going to push Yuuri. If he’d learned anything about the man the last couple months it was that Yuuri approached everything in a very deliberate, methodical manner. When he decided what kind of relationship he wanted with Viktor, he’d come to him. This Yuuri, reaper Katsuki Yuuri, was both forthright and confident.

 

So for now, Viktor would just enjoy his company, get to know him better, and see where things went.

 

Mentally shaking himself, he smiled at Mila and put his new apron on. “Well, ok then, now that I know I’ve been an oblivious idiot, let’s get cooking. Phichit has an assignment later so we need to make sure that we time things just right.”

 

Mila smiled back at him, reaching over and giving him a light punch on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit Viktor! You know our teasing is only meant in the best of ways. You’re family now, and you always will be.”

 

With that, they began to cook, Mila helping him out with practised ease with the finer details of the unfamiliar American dishes.

 

~~~~~~

 

While Mila and Viktor were occupied in the kitchen, Yuuri and Phichit settled in for an afternoon of gaming, deciding to have one on one battles before Yurio joined them.

 

But Phichit wasn’t letting Yuuri get away from the elephant in the room so easily.

 

“Sooo...Yuuri… ‘wifey’ hmmmm?”

 

“Shut up. He brought it on himself. It was totally appropriate.”

 

“Well yes, I’ll agree with that, since he’s your soulmate and all…”

 

“Not now Phichit.”

 

Phichit sighed. “When are you going to face it, Yuuri?”

 

“I AM facing it. I... um, told him last night. While we were skating.”

 

“And…?”

 

“And nothing Phichit. It’s a lot to take in. For both of us.”

 

Phichit sighed rather dramatically. “So you’re saying I have to put up with this totally awkward ‘what-are-we?’ tension until you finally do something about it?”

 

“PHICHIT!!!!”

 

Oh dear, Phichit thought, that was quite the tone. He might have finally pushed too hard and made his best friend’s temper snap. That was not what he had intended at all.

 

He hastened to reassure his friend. “Oh, Yuuri, it’s ok, I know you need time. After all, it’s not like something like this happens on a daily basis, or, like ever for a reaper.”

 

“Well, it must have happened at least once since we know that the other soul gets pulled off the wheel. But seriously, Phichit do you have any idea how guilty I feel? I was the reason Viktor had to die. I was the reason that he became a reaper instead of passing peacefully to Tir Bheannaithe. And I am the reason that we could have lost him in Geneva. All because he’s drawn to me by something he can’t even control. I mean, his soul could have FALLEN APART in Geneva and gone to Tir Cra. How on earth do I ‘live’ with that Phichit?”

 

The game at that point was completely forgotten. Phichit reached over to embrace his friend.

 

“Yuuri, it’s not your fault. It’s not you. It’s the will of the universe, and you can’t fight it. You shouldn’t fight it. Just trust that it will sort itself out. And in the meantime, enjoy the fact that you have a gorgeous man who obviously loves you wrapped around your finger.”

 

Yuuri sighed into the comforting arms of his best friend. His rock. Phichit had been there for him after he had witnessed the consequences in his early days as a reaper, and had brought him back from the madness. He would trust in Phichit’s words. He had no idea how old Phichit was, but he knew he was old enough that his words held the authority of a wisdom that only age brought.

 

“Ok, Phichit. I’ll think on what you said.”

 

Phichit grinned, knowing he’d reached his friend. “Well then, let’s get back to the game so I can kick your sorry ass!”

 

Yuuri returned the grin, and the two continued their one on ones until Yurio arrived later that afternoon.

 

~~~~~~

 

The turkey was in the oven cooking away and Viktor was still in the kitchen with Mila. Sara had joined them, and the three of them were enjoying a glass of wine while keeping an eye on the food. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing, the conversation flowing easily. Viktor of course was used to having to socialize with a wide variety of people, schmoozing being a very necessary part of his old existence. But he was finding their company so enjoyable he didn’t have to rely on his old tricks to keep the conversation moving. Mila and Sara had all sorts of stories about the semester that had just finished, and the successful and not-so-successful performances they had been a part of. Huh, he thought. Apparently he was ‘one of the girls’.

 

In contrast to the homey atmosphere in the kitchen the living room was desperately loud, with the three ‘boys’ shouting this and that about their game. Celestino had also joined them at this point, and he was adding his own enthusiastic commentary.

 

“You know,” Mila commented, “I always wondered if the design of this condo with its separate kitchen was a good idea, but I can really see the merit of this design tonight! Usually I prefer a loft sort of style, but this one reminded me a bit of something you’d see over in Europe, like a luxurious Parisian apartment.”

 

“Mmmm… I love Paris. I always thought I could see myself there someday. Or Barcelona perhaps.” Viktor contemplated some of the places he’d seen in his travels. Of all the places to end up, he’d never thought it would be a place like Detroit.

 

“Oh, do you travel a lot Viktor?” Sara asked.

 

Shit, Viktor thought. He kept forgetting Sara didn’t know - neither did Otabek who was perched by Yurio in the living room.

 

“Oh, well I traveled a little for dance. But mostly just travel shows and dreaming.” He smiled, his calculated charming smile that usually distracted the ladies. It worked - Sara forgot what she was saying and just stared at him. Mila snickered, knowing exactly what Viktor was up to.

 

Just then Phichit entered the kitchen. “Hey Viktor, I just realized we forgot the presents, and Yurio’s asking for a game I need to find. Come give me a hand, Yurio’s challenged Yuuri to a one on one so it’s perfect timing.

 

“Oh, yeah, sure. We’ve still got about an hour and a half until dinner is ready, so lots of time.” The two said their goodbyes and headed out the door.

 

~~~~~~

 

Once they got to the car, Phichit handed Viktor a piece of paper that he’d had folded in his shirt pocket. “Here’s the assignment. Tell me what you see.”

 

Viktor looked down at the paper.

 

**Allen Murphy, December 25, 2014, 6:17 pm, Detroit, MI, USA**

 

He closed his eyes (yes, it was cheesy, but it helped him concentrate) and focused on the paper. He remembered what he’d learned and dismissed his sense of self and...wow. This was a lot more clear, a lot more… everything... than the last time he had tried it. It wasn’t overwhelming though. Whereas before it had taken him several minutes, this time he had his answer in seconds.

 

“Assignment is 55 years old, undisclosed heart issues, overweight, 3 children ages 7, 9 and 14. Wife is 41. Christmas tradition is extended family over for dinner and right before dinner he dresses as Santa and brings presents and everyone knows it’s him but he doesn’t realize it. He’s obsessed with Christmas and the movie Home Alone and decorates his house like a crazy Christmas house but isn’t artful about it so it ends up being a mess full of lights everywhere that his neighbours hate. And at 6:15 he will climb up to the roof as usual in his Santa costume and pretend to come down and give out presents.” Viktor recited the facts easily.

 

“But dumb question, isn’t Santa supposed to come through the chimney? Why does he go on the roof then come through the front door?” Not that it mattered for the assignment, but Viktor was still trying to understand American Christmas.

 

“Dude, guy is still pretending to be Santa and thinks he’s fooling the adults. I wouldn’t even try to question his logic.”

 

“Yeah, ok, good point,” Viktor conceded. “So I assume he’s going to have an accident on the roof?”

 

Phichit grinned, a wide, gleeful smile. “Oh you bet, Viktor, it’s going to be perfect.” He patted him on the back. “It will totally put you in the Christmas spirit!”

 

Viktor laughed. Phichit’s enthusiasm was so infectious, it was impossible to be down when he was smiling that widely. Though, he thought to himself, a death put him in the Christmas spirit? How was even that possible?

 

“Well, let’s get going so we’re in place then.”

 

They arrived at the assignment's house just after six, but parked a few houses down. They would be invisible for all intents and purposes, but it was easier to do if they were removed from the event, Phichit explained. People would remember this death pretty vividly, so anything that caught their eye right before it was harder to erase.

 

Viktor stared in horrified awe of the house. It was… garish. There was no other word for it. There was no pattern or design to the lights, which were everywhere. The entire house was deluged in lights, without a spot uncovered. There was music blaring in some sort of pattern with one of the miscellaneous light strings that was flashing. The whole picture was...like a bunch of the shopping malls Viktor had seen had come and vomited their decorations on the house like the floor of a missed toilet.

 

They sat there in companionable silence, Phichit chatting about one of the games from earlier until they noticed the assignment sneaking out of the backyard towards the side of the house.

 

Viktor blinked. It was hard to actually see anything with that chaos.

 

But despite the visual diarrhea, the assignment was impossible to miss in a huge stuffed red suit. Viktor wondered how he would be able to maneuver at all in that thing, yet the man was planning on climbing to the roof? Oh, this would be too easy. If he’d been doing this all along it was like he’d been tempting the will of the universe for years.

 

They got out of the car as the man started up the ladder, invisible to any eyes that might be watching. They walked over to the house at a moderate pace while the man struggled to get up the ladder with his suit in the way. To say it was comical was an understatement. Between the beard and the fake belly, the ill fitting boots and the ridiculous sack he held over his shoulder he was... well, cringe-worthy for lack of a better word. Not to mention the atrocity that was the house.

 

He reached the top and Viktor looked at his phone. 6:16 pm. Phichit would be doing his thing any second, so he focused on him. And sure enough, a few seconds later, he could sense Phichit reaching out and tugging one of the light strands. The assignment walked by it almost immediately after and tripped as planned.

 

As they watched, it was something that should have been in some bad Christmas movie. The man wavered and wobbled, trying desperately to catch his balance. But of course, he failed, mainly because he refused to let go of the sack. As he fell on the roof and began to roll, strands of unsecured lights began to wind around him. He reached the edge of the roof and fell, but was briefly caught by one of the strands of lights that had been secured. But quickly one end of it let go to, and he was tumbling to the ground, a large red package wrapped in lights.

 

But this was Phichit so of course it didn’t quite end there.

 

The man plummeted towards the ground, but just before he reached it, the secured strand caught him, causing him to bounce upwards. And just like a bungee cord, he bounced up and down several times. Viktor cringed. The man had fallen right in front of the living room window and he could see the family watching with confused horror, wondering what new antic this was. Finally the strand gave out and the assignment hit the ground, hard, on his head.

 

**6:17 pm.**

Assignment complete.

 

As they watched the soul immediately left the body and barely flickered before disappearing. It hadn’t even really regained its physical form before leaving. Viktor was amazed Phichit had enabled the soul to pass so quickly - it was even better than he’d seen Yuuri or Yurio do. That soul not only didn’t suffer, but reached Tir Bheannaithe so quickly that it probably barely even registered its death. Viktor was in awe. How did Phichit do that?

 

They left as the family rushed out, their duty having been performed.

 

On their way back, Viktor asked Phichit why that reap was so different than the others. Phichit had just explained that sometimes deaths on holidays were easier on the souls because they were happy to be spending time with their families, and knew that their families were still there and well taken care of when they left. It was a unique sort of peace, he told Viktor. One that was very difficult to replicate without a holiday.

 

Viktor thought back to Phichit’s words about how this would put him in the “Christmas spirit”. He had thought that was offensive at first, but now… not so much. After all, the man had to die, and to do so during his favourite holiday, doing what he loved and during his regular routine… well, it showed in how quickly his soul had left the World of the Living just how right it was. Right for that specific soul. And… really, it was a gift. Phichit had made his passing so easy that his soul didn’t even seem to notice.

 

When they got to the car, Viktor turned to Phichit. He needed to express something to let the other man know how affected he had been by the consideration given to the assignment.

 

“That was AMAZING Phichit. I mean, I know we don’t deal in happy endings, but I think that’s as close as it gets. I don’t even think the soul noticed the transition! And the family… well, it sucks but at least their last memories are of him doing the thing he loved the most. Somehow, you managed to take care of everyone.”

 

Phichit was distracted by his driving but answered Viktor anyway. “Not every death needs to be completely sad, Viktor. Whenever possible I try to bring joy to not just the soul but the living they leave behind. Remember, this is just part of the cycle. So… change of topic, I have every possible game Yurio could want in the trunk, so we can head right back to Mila’s and pretend the delay was finding the game.”

 

“Sounds good! I’m anxious to get back to the turkey, so the sooner the better.”

 

~~~~~~

 

They arrived, carrying the ‘forgotten’ gifts and the game that Yurio wanted. Everything was pretty much as it was when had they left, and their return was barely noticed. Viktor was good with that. It gave him a few minutes to think about how it went.

 

Yuuri, of course, seemed to have a Viktor radar. He turned automatically when Viktor entered the room and got up, making his way to where Viktor stood.

 

“So? How did it go?” he asked softly.

 

Viktor smiled in response. “Really, really well actually. I think my style is probably closest to Phichit’s. I think I want to observe him more.”

 

“Oh, dumping me so soon? And for my best friend at that! You break my heart, Vitya,” Yuuri teased.

 

“Yuuuurrrriii!!! Of course not. You’re not getting rid of your ‘wifey’ so easily!” he said, smirking and giving Yuuri his famous wink. Viktor was determined to make Yuuri flustered. He had a lot of payback coming for all the times he’d turned Viktor into a stuttering mess.

 

Success! Yuuri turned bright red, his eyes widened and his mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out.

 

And then with perfect timing, the thermometer in the turkey went off, announcing it had reached the perfect temperature. Viktor left Yuuri standing there, still gaping, and with a final flurry, he and Mila made the pan gravy and put everything out, buffet style in the dining room.

 

Dinner was… boisterous. No other word quite fit the happy chaos that exploded throughout Mila’s condo. Viktor wasn’t sure what he thought of all the food, but everyone else seemed quite content with it, so he supposed it was something he would get used to. Mila had insisted on this bean concoction with canned fried onions. He couldn’t bring himself to eat it after seeing the gelatinous mass that was labeled “cream of mushroom soup” and inspecting the ingredients. He knew he’d have to make adjustments to his new existence, but this… this he had to draw the line at. After years of treating his body ‘like a temple’ as he’d always been told to...he just ...couldn’t.

 

Viktor had finished his own meal quickly. Without all the intensive training he was used to, he was starting to notice how… soft he was getting. And maybe a little pudge around the tummy? So he was determined to cut back his portions. Finishing early gave him the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy watching everyone else enjoy their meals and banter back and forth. Apparently the last game had had some close calls which were being relived in enthusiastic detail.

 

He noted with satisfaction that Yuuri didn’t go anywhere near the bean dish. HA! That was never going on the menu again.

 

After everyone was finished they all congregated in the living room, fitting into various nooks and crannies. Viktor had settled by Yuuri’s feet, the man himself in the armchair he had claimed the second he and Phichit had started gaming. The presents had all been stacked (or in Yurio’s case dumped) under the Christmas tree, which was, of course, the focal point of the room.

 

Celestino had decided to take over the distribution, and tossed present after present to each of them, with barely a pause. The room was filled with the sounds of ripping paper and laughter and general exclamations of surprise and happiness. It was impossible to see what everyone had received, nevermind figure out who had given who what.

 

Viktor had never experienced anything like it before… and it was incredible. He thought he finally understood the English phrase “Christmas cheer” and why they made such a big deal of the holiday.

 

Amidst the chaos Yuuri leaned over him, his arms encircling him and temple pressing against his own.Giving him a quick squeeze he then whispered, “Your real present won’t arrive until New Year’s Eve. That’s the best I could do for timing. But I think it will be worth the wait.”

 

“Ohhh!!! What is it?” Viktor was practically vibrating from excitement.

 

Yuuri buried his face in Viktor’s hair, chuckling. “Phichit really got it right you know, you are just like an overexcited puppy sometimes! I’m not telling you, Vitya, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

“But Yuuuuuuurrrriiii! New Year’s Eve is an eon from now!!!”

 

Yuuri tsked at him, pulling back. “No whining allowed, it’s Christmas!”

 

Feeling especially playful (which might also have something to do with the amount of wine he’d consumed), Viktor turned around and bit Yuuri’s knee in retaliation.

 

Yuuri jumped and yelped, “You BIT me! You actually bit me.”

 

“Well, that’s the thing with puppies...they do tend to bite their owners.” Oh shit. Mr. “No Chill Viktor Nikiforov” strikes again. He glanced around hoping no one had noticed.

 

No such luck.

 

“Oh, what’s this I hear? The puppy is misbehaving? Yuuri, I’m ashamed of you! You need to train your dog better than that! Maybe he needs a muzzle? Or some other restraints?” Phichit started to laugh so hard he was struggling to get enough air.

 

“Oh, Yuuri, dear, I know where you can get some really nice collars and matching leashes. After all, Viktor really does deserve the best,” Mila added, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “And after our shopping trip, I have a pretty good idea of his tastes, so I can help you pick something out.”

 

“MILA!!! Whose side are you on anyway??!?!!!!” Viktor leaned over and gave her leg a swat.

 

Yuuri, meanwhile, had gone deathly quiet. Viktor was sure that did not bode well. But Yurio piped up before Yuuri had a chance to react further.

 

“You lot are disgusting! Shut the hell up! Celestino, finish passing out the presents!”

 

And with that, a small package flew over Viktor’s head, and the happy chaos resumed.

 

Eventually they finished with the presents and the real party began. Otabek, ever the theatre tech, decided to be DJ for the night and started up some music. Mila and Sara went and pulled a tonne of alcohol from somewhere. Viktor decided he deserved to kick back and indulge - it had been a successful Christmas and a successful reap.Otabek and Yurio both volunteered to be the responsible ones (“so you idiots can get piss-assed drunk and I can take incriminating photos” according to Yurio), so the alcohol flowed freely.

 

Before he knew it, Viktor may have had more than he’d intended. Everything felt too warm all of a sudden. He decided that could be fixed by removing some of his clothes. But he would be modest, he told himself. Not like that time in… nope, don’t think of that now. Swaying slightly, he lifted his arms and removed his shirt, tossing it over his shoulder. Oops. He was still sitting on the floor by Yuuri so the shirt ended up on Yuuri’s head. He’d better explain. Yes. Before Yuuri got mad. Good idea Viktor.

 

“Yuuuuuurrrriiiii!!!! It’s so hot in here! Aren’t you hot? You should take your shirt off too!”

 

Yes. He would be helpful. His poor Yuuri was probably baking in his dress shirt since he was wearing an undershirt too, with full sleeves for some reason. Viktor could help. Viktor was good at helping, right?

 

So he got clumsily to his knees and began unbuttoning Yuuri’s shirt, tugging it out of his pants. Ok, that worked. But ugh Viktor’s pants were making this awkward. Oh! He should just take them off. Of course. That made sense. And he’d be cooler too. Good idea, Viktor.

 

He quickly discarded his pants and went back to working on Yuuri’s shirt, trying desperately to pull his arms out. By this point in the battle with Yuuri’s shirt and his own pants, Viktor had gotten rather unsteadily to his feet and was standing above Yuuri.

 

“V-V-Viktor!!! What are you --mmmph -- doing?”

 

“Yuuuurrrri! You must be so hot. It’s soooooo hot in here. I’m helping, I’m so good at helping, right? See, isn’t it better already?”

 

He looked down and his eyes widened as he realized that Yuuri’s shirt was caught on both wrists which were pinned behind his back, Viktor holding tightly to the shirt, pulling backward with his foot on the armrest trying to brace himself. Oh no… this must look like… oh no… Phichit.

 

As he finally paid attention to his surroundings, he heard the click of several camera shutters. He sputtered and let go, causing Yuuri to tumble to the floor.

 

“YUURI!!! OMG I’m so sorry, your shirt was um stuck and so um I couldn’t um. Oh nevermind!!! YOU PERVERTS QUIT LAUGHING IT’S ALL PERFECTLY INNOCENT!!!!”

 

Phichit, who was cackling, showed him a photo. All you could see was what looked like a very naked Viktor (he wasn’t, really, just um almost) with his arms around a startled Yuuri looking back at the camera with a look. Phichit of course had inserted himself into the foreground of the pic faking a shocked look with his hand to his mouth.

 

Viktor just thanked the universe it wasn’t showing him accidentally restraining Yuuri with his hands behind his back. He shuddered mentally, remembering where the whole puppy conversation had gone. Nope, he didn’t need any more of that! Well, not in public anyway.

 

“PHICHIT!!! You’d better not post it or we can talk about one of the pics in my blackmail file!!!!” Yuuri was shouting. Blackmail file… well that sounded interesting!

 

It must have been a common threat, since at those words, everyone sort of chuckled and lost interest, returning to their interrupted conversations.

 

Yuuri settled down in his chair, having finally discarded the shirt Viktor had struggled with. “Vitya, come here, but first go get us another round!”

 

“Um, yes, of course I’ll be right back.” Viktor hastened to the kitchen in as dignified posture as he could manage given his drunk, embarrassed and undressed state. But Yuuri wasn’t mad. Good.

 

He made it back to Yuuri with the drinks, who pulled him onto his lap to discuss the ‘finer points’ of Call of Duty. The two of them spent the night like that, Viktor listening to Yuuri rant about ‘campers’ which he learned were sneaky players who according to Yuuri didn’t play fair.

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 26, 2014_

 

Viktor became conscious the moment the sun peeked around the curtains hanging in the window. So strange, he thought… he should be hung over. He’d had SO MUCH. So much he wasn’t exactly sure what had happened towards the end of last night.

 

As awareness came to him he took in his surroundings. They were still at Mila’s, all piled in the living room in comfortable and not-so-comfortable positions. It seemed he was the first to wake. He was lying on the floor in front of the chair that Yuuri had claimed, but Yuuri had slipped down at some point and was lying beside Viktor, draped over his chest. Even though he knew Yuuri wasn’t sleeping off a hangover,he suspected Yuuri would sleep for quite a while. His sleeping beauty was NOT a morning person, and Viktor usually had to drag him out of bed simply so he didn’t have to listen to Yuuri’s obnoxious alarm tone.

 

Though he’d heard the one for Yakov and was damn glad that Yuuri hadn’t chosen that one for his daily alarm. He stretched, trying not to disturb Yuuri. He was going to have to get up soon though, his bladder was rather insistent.

 

Finally giving up, he got up, attended to his needs then went back to the kitchen. He started some coffee and the kettle for tea, thinking that everyone was going to be in need when they woke up. Though no one would be hung over. The only ones that could be - Otabek and Sara - hadn’t had that much to drink. That done, he wandered over to the fridge to see what he could come up with for breakfast.

 

“Grab the eggs - you make the eggs and I’ll make pancakes. There’s some bacon in there somewhere too.” Mila had walked in, looking slightly disheveled but wide awake.

 

“Sounds like a plan!” Viktor grabbed the eggs and bacon as requested and the two of them started whipping up breakfast. Slowly the others made an appearance in the kitchen, grabbing coffee or tea and making their way back to the living room.

 

Viktor had started the third pot of coffee by the time Yuuri made an appearance. “Good morning moy temnyy angel!”

 

“Mmmph,” Yuuri grumbled, one eye still closed. Viktor handed him a mug of tea, used to morning Yuuri by now. “How are you this awake Vitya?”

 

“Mmmm… how are you this asleep, Yuuri dearest?” he countered. “Breakfast is almost ready so don’t go away.”

 

Viktor turned back to the bacon that he was cooking only to feel two arms wrap around his waist and the weight of Yuuri against his back.

 

“Thank you for yesterday Vitya. It was… a perfect Christmas.”

 

Viktor smiled, looking down at the bacon and enjoying Yuuri’s embrace.

 

Mission...accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktor’s apron:
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/217343963/wifey-apron-wife-apron-bride-to-be-gift
> 
> I gave up trying to find one with more ruffles, lol.
> 
> Next up: Viktor faces some uncomfortable but necessary truths, Phichit is a phenomenal reaper and an EPIC New Year’s party. 
> 
> Next chapter will be posted Tuesday, August 29th 4- 7 pm mountain time.


	10. They Love to Tell You Stay Inside the Lines But Something's Better on the Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from John Mayer, “No such Thing”
> 
> The first bit is rather serious since Viktor still needs to learn if he’s going to grow as a reaper, but I promise we have lots and lots of laughter coming in the second half of the chapter.
> 
> Trigger warnings: wild animal mauling, gym equipment accident
> 
> There is a link to a video in the end notes that you will enjoy after reading the gym incident. :)

  ~~~~~~

 

Viktor was still riding the high of his successful Christmas party. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy. Sure, he and Chris had done some serious partying, but that was bar hopping and interacting with various strangers they would never meet again. And although he’d been friendly with his rink mates, the majority of them were much younger than him and not only did he not have anything in common with them, but they were intimidated by him for some reason. And his older rink mates had just been resentful of him, of having to live in his shadow. This is the first time he had real friends, and he cherished them dearly.

 

The day after the party passed quickly. They helped Mila clean up after breakfast then everyone said their goodbyes, leaving with a share of the leftovers. Viktor had been especially careful to make sure that their package didn’t have any of that _bean thing_. He spent the afternoon curled up with a book and napping, the lack of sleep finally having caught up with him. Yuuri and Phichit continued their one on one battles all afternoon.

 

Before they had left Mila’s, Celestino had slipped an envelope into Yuuri’s hands, containing an assignment for the next day. Viktor was going to accompany him.

 

After dinner, Yuuri brought out the envelope, and similar to what Phichit had done, asked Viktor to outline the details.

 

**Ashley Barter, 11:01 am, December 27, 2014, Detroit MI, USA**

 

“Assignment is 22 year old female, fitness instructor and advocate for non-gmo foods. She has a brother, age 27, her parents are divorced and her father remarried a 26 year old woman. She just returned from Florida where she spent Christmas with her father. Christmas was a disaster and she’s looking forward to a long run outside tomorrow to get rid of her anger. She plans to run Paint Creek Trail even though it’s probably icy.” He recited the facts quickly, barely having paused after taking hold of the paper.

 

“Wow, Vitya, you’ve certainly improved,” Yuuri said approvingly. “That’s good progress. We should make sure you’re practicing your skills more often too. So what else can you tell me about the location of the assignment?”

 

Viktor reached his mind further. “She goes there often, but not as much in winter because of the ice. It’s a popular trail, generally considered safe. There are parts of it that are fairly isolated, especially on her usual route, which she is planning on taking tomorrow.”

 

“Good. Now what are the options for completing the assignment?”

 

Viktor paused, considering. “Well, woman jogger alone. So an attack of some kind is an option. A slip and fall? Heart attack? Maybe a stray tree branch too heavy with snow could fall and hit her? There’s a creek near there. She could slip and drown? Hmmm if it’s frozen maybe not.”

 

“Ok, all possible plans. And how do you know where she’s going to be on that trail? How would you choose a plan if you don’t know where she’ll be?”

 

“Uhhhhhhhh. That’s a good question. I know we can locate where she is currently but I don’t know how we’d predict where she’d be at the exact time tomorrow.”

 

“Easiest way is to plant a suggestion to make sure she leaves at a certain time. Then use good old Google Maps to figure it out. We’ll have to adjust tomorrow a bit, but we’ll have a general idea that will be good enough for coming up with a plan. ...I can tell you though, what I decided on is none of those. And you can see why a lot of reapers don’t bother with letting their assignment follow their own routine or plans. It really is harder to plan for a successful reap this way. Otherwise we could just plant any old suggestion and have them exactly where and when we want.”

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 27, 2017, 10:35 am_

 

The next morning they headed out, having figured out approximately where they would need to be. They would wait a little before where they thought she would be so they could follow her. Yuuri also said he’d need a few minutes ahead of time to ensure the external factors were in place. Whatever that meant.

 

It was cold out, and even though they had dressed for the weather, Viktor had prepared a thermos for each of them (coffee for him, tea for Yuuri) to help keep warm. It was weird, this being partly alive state, he thought. He had already experienced the benefits, not having starved to death after Geneva, and not getting a hangover. But he wondered why they felt cold. Why did reapers even have a body that could feel and function like a human? It wasn’t necessary for their role. They could just exist in soul form or what the living called spirits. So, why? As he was starting to understand, there must be a reason for it. The universe left nothing to chance.

 

“Yuuri, why are we cold?”

 

“Because it’s 14 degrees out Viktor,” Yuuri deadpanned.

 

Viktor poked his ribs with his elbow. “No, no, you know what I mean. Why do we feel cold? Or hot? Or pain...or anything? Why do we have to sleep? We could just be spirits.”

 

“Well, yes, that’s true. I don’t think anyone knows the actual answer to that, but I can take a guess. If you think about it, over time, wouldn’t you forget what it felt like to be alive? Wouldn’t you forget how you react to pain, to physical discomfort or even to the simple pleasure of enjoying a good meal?”

 

“I suppose so. I imagine it would take some time.”

 

“Vitya, you could potentially be a reaper until humanity itself dies out. Even presently there are reapers that are hundreds of years old. I suspect Phichit is even older than that. And I couldn’t even guess at Yakov’s age”

 

Viktor’s eyebrows rose at that. “REALLY? I hadn’t imagined that we could exist this way for that long. So ok, yes, I can see I’d forget what it felt like to have a physical body after a time.”

 

“It’s not just about what it feels like to have a physical body, Vitya. Having a physical body is what makes a soul alive. Without being able to connect to that feeling, how would we remember what it felt like to be alive? Imagine how hard it would be to complete assignments. Our ability to understand the living, and to connect with them and understand their feelings is how we are effective in our duties. We are the only beings who understand both at the same time - what it is to be a soul and what it is to be alive. That’s why we are the only ones that can do fulfill this duty. That’s what I believe, anyway.”

 

Yuuri paused, taking a sip of his tea. “You’re awfully philosophical this morning.”

 

“ _Yuuuuriii_!!! You make it sound like I’ve never had any ‘deep’ thoughts. But I can tell you the answer is 42.”

 

Yuuri burst out laughing. “Ok, anyone who knows _Hitchhikers’ Guide_ is ok by me.”

 

“See! I told you. Deep thoughts. That’s what makes Viktor Nikiforov tick.”

 

Yuuri just laughed harder. Viktor was… well so much, he couldn’t put it into words.

 

_10:45 am_

 

Yuuri pulled the paper with the assignment and held it in his bare hand. “Ok, Vitya, pay attention to what I’m about to do. It can be tricky. Here, hold my hand. That will make it easier for you to follow my mind.”

 

Viktor did as he was told, and felt Yuuri’s mind reach out. He followed as best he could, it becoming easier after a few seconds. Yuuri’s mind somehow _split_ his energy into five separate strands for a lack of a better word. Each of those strands took off in a slightly different direction until he reached...some kind of animal? Viktor frowned. They felt a lot different than a human mind. It was hard to tell what they were. Definitely some kind of predator. Then very carefully Yuuri planted a thread of a suggestion, entwining the thread with the paper that he held.

 

_Ohhh_ …. He thought. He’d felt threads coming from the assignment that were linked to other people when he’d observed both Yurio’s and Mila’s reaps. This must be how they had done it. He hadn’t realized that not only did you have to plant the suggestion, but that it had to be tied to the assignment. It was all starting to make sense.

 

He stretched his mind further, exploring the thread that ran from the assignment to the animals to try and discern exactly what Yuuri had done. And… success!!!

 

Oh, yuck.

 

He groaned. “Ugh, Yuuri, why? Why did you choose _that_ of all the options?”

 

“You’ll see Vitya. Oh, and I guess there’s one thing I forgot to tell you, since it’s so obvious. _Never_ criticize another reapers’ methods unless it’s your own death. If a reap is successful, that’s enough. The goal is to complete the assignment, and as long as that is done, it’s all that matters.” Yuuri had an eyebrow raised, and looked a little unimpressed.

 

Viktor was thoroughly chastised. “Of course, Yuuri. I’m sorry.”

 

Yuuri patted his shoulder, letting Viktor know he was forgiven. “Ok, time to become undetectable. The assignment should be along any second.”

 

Sure enough, at 10:50 am the assignment jogged past, opting to job beside the path in the soft snow rather than the paved path which was dubious in places. Viktor and Yuuri fell into place behind her, keeping a steady pace as she continued her run, completely oblivious to their presence. At this point Viktor could hear the yowls of coyotes and they seemed to be coming closer. Ahhh… so that’s what they were, Viktor thought.

 

The subject was obviously alarmed by the sounds of the coyotes, increasing her pace significantly and watching the sides of the path. They continued to match her pace, Yuuri keeping a close eye on the time until 10:55 am, when Yuuri came to a sudden halt. Viktor watched as Yuuri concentrated and suddenly the assignment veered back on the path right before a patch of ice, and with no warning slipped and fell. She screamed, and it looked like she had broken her leg.

 

As the assignment writhed in pain, the coyotes arrived, looking mad with hunger and driven with need.

 

In moments in was over, and Viktor very sincerely regretted his breakfast. And maybe every meal he’d ever eaten.

 

**11:01 am**

Assignment complete.

 

The soul appeared almost immediately and just as quickly faded from the world.

 

After Viktor had divested himself of any and all food that was still anywhere in his digestive system, Yuuri led him away quickly. The sounds were still… present.

 

Once they reached the car, Yuuri handed Viktor some of his tea. “After that I think tea will soothe your stomach better than coffee. Do you think you’ll be ok to make it back home?”

 

Viktor tried to speak, failed, and cleared his throat. “Thanks Yuuri. Yes, I’ll be just fine, thank you.”

 

Viktor was silent all the way back, alternating between thinking about what had just happened, and trying to forget about it, and trying to _rationalize_ what had just happened. This was not something that he’d pictured Yuuri doing, nope, not at all. It was so brutal? Rough? Violent? Viktor wasn’t sure what word to ascribe to what he had just witnessed. Maybe ‘disturbing’ was the best description.

 

Yuuri seemed to know that he needed time and just let him be with his thoughts. Yuuri didn’t look upset at all. In fact he was singing along with the music he’d put on, a half smile playing at his lips. Hmmm… Viktor wondered why that was. So far the Yuuri he knew avoided all violence. So why was the choice for this one so gruesome? He, himself, had come up with a number of ways the assignment could have been completed in a much more peaceful manner. So, why this?

 

Viktor sighed, his head in his hand as he watched the scenery pass by. As he’d told himself before, Yuuri was nothing but deliberate in all his choices. So there must be a reason, and he should be open to hearing it.

 

When they arrived home Yuuri immediately went to the bathroom off their room and started a bath. Viktor sat on the bed, his arms wrapped around his knees, hugging them close to his chest. He was _frozen_. He heard the water stop and Yuuri appeared, smiling.

 

“Come, Vitya, you need a bath. I put the lavender salts in. It will calm your soul and warm you up. And if you ask nicely, I’ll even wash your hair.”

 

Oh, he was being spoiled... Yuuri knew that Viktor’s favourite thing in the world was having someone play with his hair.

 

He smiled. “Thank you, Yuuri, I would love it if you washed my hair. And I’m freezing so a bath sounds just perfect right now.”

 

Viktor finally emerged after the bath water had started to grow cool with freshly washed hair. He felt better, the simple action of bathing somehow managing to ground him again. But he knew he should talk about it and he knew Yuuri was waiting for him to be ready to discuss it.

 

Yuuri was waiting in an armchair that was strategically placed by the window to capture the perfect daylight for reading. Viktor decided to lounge on the bed, pulling his robe closer as he did so to avoid losing any heat. He’d finally warmed up after their long trek in the cold.

 

After he finished arranging himself he looked up at Yuuri.

 

“Feeling better?”

 

“Yes, I am. Thanks for washing my hair.”

 

“You ready to talk?”

 

“How do you know me so well?”

 

“Well there’s that whole Law of Magnetism thing… but I don’t know, really. Other people I have a hard time figuring out, except Phichit maybe. But you… you’re different.”

 

Yuuri suddenly looked alarmed. “Oh, Vitya, one thing you need to know. Like _really_ need to know. When I had to … um, well, um … ahh- hhh … how do I say this?” Yuuri blew his breath out and put his head in his hands.

 

“So when I had to complete... your assignment, I, ugh… had to make suggestions and … stuff. But I SWEAR, Vitya, I SWEAR any time I’ve had to touch your mind I did NOT look at your really private thoughts or history or anything. ”

 

Viktor felt his cheeks warm. He honestly hadn’t given it any thought before. He’d known from the beginning that there was nothing he would hide from Yuuri. No truth, no weakness, no embarrassing stories… even the most ugly side of his personality. He’d committed himself even that first day even though he hadn’t realized or understood why. But… apparently his soul had.

 

His soul knew that Yuuri was his perfect complement, like his negative ion being attracted to and neutralizing Yuuri’s glorious positive ion. Together they were neutral; two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin. If ever there was a yin and yang, Viktor realized that was what they were…. and it was truly the embodiment of the Law of Magnetism.

 

Yuuri cleared his throat and Viktor realized he hadn’t responded. “Oh, Yuuri, it’s fine, please don’t even think about it again. I mean, thank you for respecting my privacy, but … honestly… with you I don’t feel the need or want for privacy.” He smirked. “Special surprises and gifts excluded of course!”

 

Yuuri smiled, a warm and brilliant smile that lit up his whole face. He leaned forward and grabbed Viktor’s hand, pulling him towards him. “Thank you, Vitya,” he spoke softly, “You have no idea how much that means to me.” He pulled Viktor’s hand towards his heart and held it there for a moment, then gave it a single soft kiss.

 

But Yuuri being Yuuri, he cut the moment short, returning to the original subject.

 

“So Vitya… this morning’s reap….spill. I know it bugged you.”

 

Viktor shrugged. “I don’t know. It was just so gruesome. But it didn’t have to be. It just doesn’t seem like something you would choose. I guess I want to know why that’s what you decided on.”

 

“Well, let’s start by looking at some of the things you came up with. First an attack. I don’t do that. Ever. I just personally won’t. Then consider a slip and fall. You saw the area - it would have been quite a stretch for her to fall in such a way that she died. Couldn’t do it like we did that other assignment and let her die from exposure because the path is used too often. Possibly a head injury would have worked if she had landed just right, but I would have had to take complete control of her body to get her to hit her head just so. That leaves a large margin of error. Same with the tree branch. There weren’t many trees with branches overhanging in that part of the trail that would be large enough to kill someone. The timing would have been too tricky. Doable, but why when there are other ways that will work as well?”

 

“And as it happens, when I reached out to find the coyotes, I found a _lot_ of them. And they all seem very territorial this year. So at the very least if it makes you feel better, the assignment’s death will highlight safety so other people won’t get hurt.” He laughed. “We control the likelihood of them dying from a coyote attack of course, but at least maybe people won’t get injured.”

 

Yuuri was smiling. He didn’t look bothered in the slightest at either Viktor’s question or his reaction to the morning’s events.

 

Viktor looked at him silently, contemplating the reasoning. It made sense, especially when he considered the chance of failure and having to resort to another plan last minute. But there was still something that made Viktor feel like this wasn’t Yuuri’s first choice. He wondered if part of the reason for his choice was to teach him a lesson.

 

“So is part of the reason you did it to show me something graphic? To see if I could take it?”

 

“Vitya - how was the soul after?”

 

Viktor thought back. “Oh. You’re right. It passed with almost no pause, no real acknowledgement of its death.”

 

“So did the manner of its death bother the soul? Did the assignment suffer?”

 

“I guess the answer is no, except for when the coyotes…”

 

“It may not have been instant, but many, many types of death lead to pain as the body dies. Heart attacks and other illnesses, accidents… Vitya, we worry about the soul, not the body. The soul is not going to carry that pain with it. I really didn’t want to bring this up, but do you remember being electrocuted? Your heart failed, and it had to hurt your physical body.”

 

Viktor reached back into his memory, trying to remember exactly how he had felt at that moment. To his surprise his memories of the experience were rather fuzzy. He recalled being surprised at a sharp pain, but that sensation being overridden by a sense of being pulled somewhere.

 

“Actually, now that I think back to it, I mostly just remember this weird sense of being pulled somewhere.”

 

“Exactly! As the assignment approaches completion the pulling on the soul begins as it separates from the body, and that sensation becomes what the soul is focused on. So, yes, to answer your question, part of the reason I chose this death was to show you that it’s ok, the soul won’t suffer. One day you’re very likely to come across an assignment where blood and guts is the best option. You shouldn’t shy away from it when the time comes. It may seem mean, but remember, I’m your mentor. It’s my job to show you the different aspects of being a reaper and to make sure that you can handle whatever may come your way. I’d be doing you no favours if I took it easy on you. This job has it’s unpleasant parts too.”

 

“Yuuuurrri~! You sound just like Yakov! Do you have any idea how creepy that is?”

 

Yuuri smirked at him. “Maybe it’s just that some puppies need a firm hand, Vitya…” Whatever Yuuri was going to say next was lost as the pillow Viktor tossed hit his head.

 

“Oh, you’re not getting away with that!” And with that said, they indulged in a vicious pillow fight until Phichit finally came to find out what all the noise was about.

 

~~~~~~

 

**ChrisDaMan**

 

So how did Xmas turn out?

AWESOME

I’ve never had a Christmas like that

Not even when I *had* family

.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

You know you always had an open invitation

We’d have had you over anytime

 

I know

I just honestly had no clue

What it was supposed to be like

I was fine with what I had

It’s just now I have better

◦°˚\\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

 

I’m glad

You still owe me a night of drinking tho

It’s been too long since we’ve gone out

 

Definitely

I think I’m stuck here for a while

Used up all my funds for Christmas

Not supposed to get a real job yet

But soon I hope!

 

What about the accounting?

 

Well it’s job skills and it pays a bit

But sitting and doing data entry all day?

After being used to training all day?

No thanks

I need something more active

 

Huh I never thought about that

 

You better start…

Old man...

・:*:・(*´艸｀*)・:*:・

 

Oh you’re going to pay for that one

( ︶︿︶)_╭∩╮

 

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

~~~~~~

 

It was late afternoon, and Yuuri and Viktor had just gotten home from the studio. Yuuri had wanted to practice and Viktor had decided to join him, practicing some of his mediocre ballet. Yakov made all of his skaters take ballet, and he’d never really loved it, but now he appreciated how good it felt to give his body a full work out.

 

Of course he’d ended up watching Yuuri. _Everyone_ ended up watching Yuuri at some point. There was just something about him that demanded attention, that made you keep your eyes on him and never look away.

 

Yuuri went to go shower first, and Viktor headed to the kitchen, intending to get the meat for that night’s dinner in the marinade before he took his own turn. Phichit was sitting at the counter with his laptop set up, peering at Google maps.

 

“Oooh! Exciting! Do you have an assignment?”

 

“Yup, Celestino was by earlier. It’s first thing tomorrow. Are you up for it?”

 

“Of course, wouldn’t miss it!” After his text conversation with Chris, Viktor really wanted to buckle down with training. He wanted to be able to do this on his own, to start making his own way. Not that he was planning on moving or anything drastic, it just would be nice not to have to rely on the others for everything.

 

“Great. Take a look at it,” Phichit said, pointing to the envelope beside him.

 

**Don Matherson, 7:32 am, December 30, 2014, Detroit, MI, USA**

 

Without being prompted, Viktor recited, “24 year old male, personal trainer, single, parents live in Arizona, only child with two cats. Hits the gym every day but Sunday at 7:00 am. Stays for around 2 hours before visiting his clients. Routine is stretch, circuit training, weights, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday and Thursday are stretch, treadmill, weights and Saturday is stretch, spin and weights. Alternates between free weights and weight machines kind of randomly.”

 

Phichit had a shit eating grin on his face. “Only a true athlete would have paid that much detail to the actual workout, Viktor. I stopped at ‘oh, tomorrow’s Tuesday, it’s treadmill day’. But I am glad that you’re paying attention to details.”

 

Viktor laughed. “Well, you got me there! I can’t help myself I suppose. And as soon as I figured out it would be at the gym I wanted the details. I think a gym membership is something I’m going to have to work into my budget as soon as I can.”

 

“That’s actually a good plan. Keep you from going stir crazy while you settle in. And New Year’s is just a few days away, there’s always specials on memberships.”

 

Viktor perked up at that. He hadn’t used his credit card yet. Yakov had ended up paying for the skates, muttering something about Christmas presents and how Yuuri needed to relax more. He hated the idea of carrying a balance, but he’d learned how to budget after a couple months working at Minako’s. He now kind of regretted letting Yakov handle all his finances. Even though he knew it let him concentrate on his skating more fully, it would have been a good experience to learn how to handle his money properly.

 

“That’s a great idea Phichit! Thanks! I’ve really been missing my training. That will help. A lot. Ok, so what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

 

“We’ll start out by testing out that gym and seeing whether it’s one you want to join. It’s nearby, so it’s an option for you. So make sure you’re ready to go so we can be there at 7:00, ready to go.”

 

Viktor groaned internally. Yes, he was sort of a morning person, but if he was honest, he really wasn’t missing the early morning workouts. But duty was duty so he tamped down the minor irritation.

 

“Sounds good. Oh… I just realized I never did buy any real work out gear.”

 

Phichit grinned at him again. “That’s fine Viktor, I’m sure that it’s no hardship to borrow something from Yuuri. ...maybe not his booty shorts though.”

 

Viktor felt his eyebrows creep into his hairline. Booty shorts? OMG, it must have something to do with the pole dancing. No, Viktor. Down, ice puppy. Focus on the task at hand. He decided to ignore Phichit’s bait.

 

“Oh that’s a good idea. There’s one pair of sweats he has that I wore in those first few days that don’t look like flood pants somehow.”

 

He smiled internally. Phichit was pouting, not having gotten a rise out of Viktor. He was starting to learn Phichit’s game finally. He then wavered slightly. Had he actually just called himself ‘ _ice puppy_ ’ in his innermost thoughts? NO!! This was NOT happening. Except apparently it was. He sighed, and went to the fridge to start assembling the marinade.

 

~~~~~~

 

_December 30, 2014_

 

Yuuri never failed to amaze him. His alarm was set for 5:45 so he could make sure he was ready and awake. When his alarm went off, Yuuri managed to reach over him, grab his phone, turn his alarm off rather than hitting snooze. He then hit Viktor’s nose with his finger saying a firm ‘no’ before lying back down. All in his sleep and without opening an eye, not even slightly.

 

So, Yuuri was a sleepwalker?

 

And apparently Viktor had enough dog-like characteristics to be treated like one at all times. He couldn’t decide if that was a bad thing or not, and it was too early to think coherently about such things anyway.

 

Putting aside his thoughts, he quickly got ready and made his way into the kitchen. Phichit was already there, buttering some toast.

 

“So, you made it. Zombie Yuuri didn’t sabotage you I see.”

 

Viktor snapped his fingers. “YES! That’s what that was!!! Exactly like a zombie. It was the most creepy odd wonderful thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Ummm… ok. That’s an interesting description. What did he do?” Phichit asked, continuing to prepare his breakfast.

 

“He turned off my phone alarm. Honestly, that startled me awake more than my alarm did. Especially when he tapped me on the nose with a very loud ‘NO!’ That was, uh... different.”

 

Phichit broke out in laughter, trying desperately to stifle the noise and not choke on his toast.

 

“Oh Viktor, that just made my day. Yes, he does have a bad habit of turning off other people’s alarms. I was thinking Yuuri must be a little anxious about something. He only seems to turn into zombie Yuuri when he’s extremely tired or when he’s a bit anxious. Actually I shouldn’t use ‘anxious’. Nowadays ‘nervous’ is about as strong as it gets. There’s a few exceptions but he’s mainly moved past that. Now when he first became a reaper… well, let’s just say I became very familiar with zombie Yuuri in all his forms.”

 

Viktor laughed. He could only imagine the things Yuuri must have gotten up to. “You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I will. I’m just waiting for the right moment to embarrass him the most.”

 

“Hmmmm… I like that plan. Serves him right for treating me like a dog! And in his sleep, no less!” Viktor ripped open the protein bar he grabbed stuck it in his mouth while he poured some coffee into a travel mug. “Well, shall we go? I can finish this on the way.”

 

Phichit snickered. “Well, you know…”

 

Viktor cut him off. “You can stop right there, I don’t want to hear it!” With that, he strode out of the room with purpose. He didn’t need to hear any more dog jokes.

 

The gym was close enough they took a bus rather than Phichit’s car. Viktor was starting to get used to things (even though he still complained, it was mostly for show), and was even a little ashamed with just how much of a snob he had been. It was amazing how the life of a celebrity had changed him, made him feel entitled. But at the same time, that celebrity had come with the price of being isolated. He’d been living that way for so long that he’d forgotten what it was to be just Viktor, he had lost himself to the image of ‘Viktor Nikiforov’. No one wanted to get to know him. They just wanted his image, or to ride on his coattails. Chris was really the only one who looked beyond that. Well and Yakov, of course, but he was his coach, not a friend.

 

They had arrived right before 7:00. As they entered, Viktor looked around, evaluating. It was clean, looked well taken care of and there were already several people around. A promising start, he thought.

 

They paid at the front desk and headed to the change room. Phichit took out the assignment, paused, then handed it to Viktor. He took it wordlessly and located the assignment. He was stretching currently in an empty room used for classes. They changed, Viktor pulling the cuffs of his sweats up to just under his knees, making them look like purposefully short rather than like flood pants. They both did some stretching since they were going to do an actual workout.

 

They headed to the treadmills around 7:20. The assignment wasn’t there yet, but arrived a couple minutes after they had started. He chose a treadmill two over from Phichit, and Viktor noted that it didn’t look like Phichit had planted any suggestions yet. He wondered what was going to happen. Heart attack? That seemed the most likely.

 

He was going at a good pace, enjoying his run. He was glad that he’d been able to keep at least that up. He glanced at the time. 7:30. By this time the assignment had increased the speed of his treadmill to what looked like a sprint. Something should happen any time he thought. He stilled his mind, focussing outwards and leaving his sense of self behind so he wouldn’t be detected. There! Phichit was...oh...he was loosening screws on the treadmill. That could get...nasty he thought.

 

Over the next minute and a half the screws loosened themselves further with the vibration of the machine. Then suddenly with the scream of metal on metal, the front console, which the man had been hanging on to, separated from the rest of the treadmill, falling down swiftly. The man fell with it, hitting his head on the side arm before the track of the treadmill sent his body flying back, into the stand of barbells in the freeweight area. The barbells came crashing down on top of him and…

 

**7:32 am**

Assignment complete.

 

As the shouting of people surrounded them, they watched until the soul left for Tear Bheannaithe and then quietly made their way into another area of the gym.

 

“I’m not done yet, so let’s do some spinning.” Phichit, as usual was unruffled. Viktor wasn’t quite as unaffected, but it was still hard to get the image out of his mind.

 

Unfortunately, the image was _hilarious_. The surprised expression on his face, and the way he tumbled and rolled and then just _shot_ into the barbells was… he didn’t know whether to be horrified or burst out in laughter.

 

Seeing the conflicted look on his face, Phichit said, “It’s ok to laugh, Viktor. It was a good death, and if it was amusing…” he shrugged. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Remember, just another part of the cycle. Nothing to get upset about. In fact, better than an injury because there’s no lasting pain.”

 

Given permission, he finally burst into giggles, trying not to draw attention to himself since it was, after all, a very inappropriate reaction.

 

“OMG Phichit!” he said in a low voice. Did you see his face? And the speed that treadmill was going, he didn’t have a chance to save himself after the console gave out. But the barbells...that was a nice touch. I can’t believe all you had to do was loosen the screws!”

 

“Yup,” Phichit said proudly. “I just took advantage of everything that was already in place. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was ready to give something a nudge if necessary, but it worked out just fine.”

 

They continued their workout in friendly silence. After they finished, Viktor decided that he liked the gym well enough, and so signed up for a membership on his way out (and convinced them to apply their New Year’s special a couple of days early).

 

~~~~~~

 

**XOXO Angel XOXO**

 

Hey

Hope it went well

I went to the studio

Can you join me there later?

There’s some prep for next semester

I could use some help

 

Yes it went well

＼（＾▽＾）／

Phichit is amazing

 

Um, excuse me

No

 

?

 

Try Yuuri is amazing

Phichit is ok

（╬ಠ益ಠ)

 

ლ(´ ❥ `ლ)

 

Nice try

You’ll have to do better than that

 

But Yuuuuurrrriii!

It was so funny

Like SO funny

And almost no effort

 

（╬ಠ益ಠ)

You’re not helping your case

*Viktor*

 

･ﾟﾟ･(×_×)･ﾟﾟ･｡

You know you’re amazing

I’ll make it up to you

Later

When I get there

 

Yes, yes you will

The floors need polishing

*Viktor*

Yes dear

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor arrived at the studio, bringing lunch as a peace offering. It was simple, just sandwiches, but Viktor had visited an Italian market the other day, so the sandwiches were made with fresh bread and mortadella, an olive tapenade and some fresh mozzarella. He’d added some frisée too, for a bit of green.

 

He located Yuuri in his office and started unpacking their lunch. Yuuri looked up, surprised. “Oh, thanks, I forgot about lunch.”

 

“When you’re really focused you’d forget to eat entirely if someone didn’t remind you.” He handed Yuuri a sandwich, which Yuuri took and put down immediately. He grabbed Viktor’s wrist and pulled him in for a hug.

 

“I missed you this morning. You weren’t there when I woke up, and that was the first time since you started staying with me. I didn’t like it.”

 

Ah. That’s why Yuuri was so pissy. Viktor was positively glowing from the thought that he was missed. He decided to poke back a bit.

 

“I met zombie Yuuri this morning. He’s quite the character. And apparently thinks I’m a dog,” Viktor said, pulling away and pouting. He knew Yuuri couldn’t resist that particular pout.

 

Sure enough, Yuuri turned bright red and started tugging on his ponytail. “Ah, you heard that from Phichit, huh? He, uh, didn’t say anything much, did he?”

 

“Just that you sleepwalk when you’re anxious or overtired. And he promised me some stories at a more opportune time.” Wow, Yuuri was a tomato. Those stories must be really good.

 

Yuuri cleared his throat. “Well, never mind that, let’s eat. I wouldn’t want these to go to waste, and there’s still work to do.”

 

They ate lunch, Viktor telling Yuuri about the morning’s reap and making him laugh uproariously at the image.

 

After lunch they worked to get the studio ready for the next semester. Two of the studios still needed the floors waxed and buffed, and it was time to take the old notices off the notice board. Viktor took care of that while Yuuri prepared emails to all the students with a welcome message and letting them know what room their class would be in. Viktor had noticed that Yuuri seemed very distracted all afternoon, checking his phone more often than normal. He wondered what was up, but let it go for now.

 

Once he had finished, they headed back home, Viktor leaning against Yuuri on the bus and almost falling asleep. It had been a long day and more physical activity than he was used to. He felt quite pathetic actually and was glad he had signed up at the gym.

 

Yuuri’s nervousness continued into the evening but when Viktor asked him he would only say that he was expecting a text from Celestino and didn’t want to miss it.

 

~~~~~~

 

The next morning Viktor was excited. He LOVED New Year’s Eve, and he had confirmed with Yuuri that the gang from Christmas was coming over that night. He spent the morning cleaning, sending Yuuri and Phichit out to get food. The afternoon would be spent cooking, though he was going to get Yuuri to help. Maybe that would distract him from whatever was making him nervous about Celestino’s anticipated text.

 

When they got back he decided to get Yuuri started on prep for the katsudon he was making for dinner. After he’d learned it was Yuuri’s favourite dish, he’d done a lot of research into different recipes and a lot of experimenting to get it right. He knew it wasn’t as good as Yuuri’s mom’s, but he’d finally come up with a version that he’d pronounced was a good substitute.

 

Viktor had asked Yuuri to put some music on while they worked, and soon they were both dancing around the kitchen and playing air guitar. Viktor was pleased, it seemed to have distracted Yuuri from whatever was bothering him. Plus he loved time spent together like this. Just being able to be together, being their goofy selves.

 

Late in the afternoon, their cooking was interrupted by a loud chime on Yuuri’s phone. Yuuri ran and grabbed it, walking out of the room. That was weird, Viktor thought. Why did he have to leave?

 

“Um, Vitya, I have to run out for a bit. Celestino needs me to pick something up. I’ll be back in about an hour, ok?”

 

“Ok, as long as you’re back before everyone arrives. We were just about done, so the timing is perfect.” Huh, he thought. Well, at least Yuuri would finally stop being distracted by whatever it was.

 

Viktor finished up, cleaned the kitchen and decided to shower to relax a bit and freshen up while Phichit set everything out and got the drinks organized.

 

~~~~~~

 

As he descended the stairs towards the main floor, a very familiar laugh rang out from the living room. He took the remaining stairs two at a time, and bounded into the living room. “CHRIS!!!!! What on earth are you doing here?”

 

“Viktor!” Chris reached out and embraced him. “Yuuri wanted to surprise you, and he made the arrangements. So… surprise!”

 

Viktor was grinning from ear to ear. This was going to be the best night ever. All his favourite people in the same place. He turned to Yuuri and grabbed him enthusiastically, literally sweeping him off his feet and spinning. “YUUUURRRRIIII!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!! I love you-y-y-your present so much!” Wow that was close. Oops.

 

Yuuri was laughing, but pushed at Viktor’s arms. “Ok, ok, put me down already! I’m glad it made you happy. Your last visit was ruined so I wanted to let you have a proper visit.”

 

Viktor put him down and let him go, but not before giving his forehead an affectionate kiss. He was so very happy. If he had a heart, he was sure it would have burst.

 

They spent the remaining time before the others arrived chatting and catching up. Yuuri told him who was coming and who was a reaper and who wasn’t. Viktor was surprised that he volunteered the information, but he supposed there was no reason _not_ to. It would help too that Chris knew who he had to keep quiet in front of about certain matters.

 

The doorbell rang announcing the arrival of Mila and Sara, and the party truly began.

 

After everyone arrived, Viktor went to the kitchen to cook the katsudon. Chris trailed behind explaining that he absolutely had to see Viktor actually cooking with his own eyes. Viktor rolled his eyes at that. And people accused him of being dramatic! Chris outdid him on that front by FAR. He put on the apron Yuuri had given him and started taking things out of the fridge. He turned around and Chris’s eyes bugged out of his head.

 

“OMG VIKTOR!!! Where did you get THAT??!!!!!???”

 

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? It was a present from Yuuri.”

 

“Ummm...Viktor…'wifey’?”

 

Viktor calmly responded, “Oh, it’s apparently in response to the ‘housespouse’ blunder I made. Before I accidentally asked him to marry me. I’m still not sure how seriously to take it though.”

 

“VIKTOR!!! You’ve been holding out on me! Details! Spill! Now!”

 

Viktor sighed. And explained. And soon Chris was doubled up laughing, almost literally rolling on the floor laughing. He decided to ignore his friend until he had it out of his system and concentrated on making the katsudon. Soon the pork was sizzling and Chris had finally composed himself.

 

“So where exactly are you guys at then?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t worry too much about it like I did before. Think about it, yes, worry, no. Now that I know we’ll be together forever, it’s not really a question I need to worry about.”

 

“Ummm…together forever? You sound like a melodramatic teenager mooning over their first crush. What on earth are you on about now?” Viktor gestured him closer and in a quiet voice no one else could hear explained the Law of Magnetism. He figured that he could use Chris’s support and if Yuuri’s best friend knew, then Chris could know too.

 

Chris gave a low whistle. “Well, I would say that is the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard, but after Chicago, I don’t think much surprises me anymore. So… congrats? I’m not sure what to say. That’s...a lot to take in.”

 

Viktor smiled at him. “Tell me about it. It’s been a week and I’m still trying to process it. Especially since potentially I could be in this existence for hundreds of years or more.”

 

“Uhhh...ummm… seriously?” Chris looked gobsmacked.

 

Oops, he thought. Too much info. Viktor nodded. “Seriously.”

 

“What the _fuck_ Viktor? I figured it would be like your normal life.”

 

Ugh. Definitely too much info. He needed to stop Chris from dwelling on it. “Nope. I was surprised too. But hey, we can talk more later. Dinner's ready, can you help with the bowls?”

 

Chris stared back at him incredulously, but moved to help him plate dinner. Viktor sighed to himself. He really needed to cherish these moments because he could already see how his friendship with Chris would go. Everyone was right, and the Rules were there for a good reason. Their existence should not be known by humans. It was just too much for the living to comprehend.

 

Dinner was served and it was everything that Viktor had hoped for. He sat back, just picking at his food while he watched the people most important to him talk animatedly and enjoy what he had prepared. There was such a simple joy in having a meal together that he’d never taken the time to appreciate. He was being too sentimental, he knew, but it was impossible not to be when Yuuri was beside him, glowing with happiness as he ate his favourite meal. The man could light up any room just with his presence. He felt his emotions so strongly that it seemed when he laughed the whole world laughed with him, and when he cried the world trembled at his feet.

 

He watched Chris carefully, and could see that he was still struggling with what he’d learned. He was drinking more than he usually would and his smile was almost too bright. But at least Mila and Sara seemed to be keeping him engaged.

 

After dinner was over Sara and Mila insisted on cleaning up since Viktor had done all the cooking, so he relaxed in his usual spot when they were in a big group - at Yuuri’s feet, leaning against him.

 

The evening passed quickly, with conversation flowing easily. Before he knew it, Viktor realized he was quite drunk… but Chris and Yuuri more so. At some point in the evening, Otabek had taken over the music, which was no surprise given his minor was in theatre design and technology.

 

Suddenly Yuuri jumped up and pointed accusingly at Yurio.

 

“Dance battle NOW. I will BURY you!”

 

Yurio answered with a sneer, “Oi Katsudon, you think you can beat _me_? I think not. Clear the furniture and let’s DO this.”

 

As if this had happened many times before, the other members of the unit cleared a good sized area for them to dance. The townhouse was actually quite large, so they had more than enough room to work with.

 

Otabek started them out with a hip hop song, currently on the Top 40 list. Yuuri started, moving easily to the music, rolling his shoulders and snapping his hips to the beat. Yurio joined him right after, making similar movements, the two warming themselves up before the real fun began. Then the second song started and it had a harder beat, on harsher tone, and demanded a physical response.

 

Yuuri responded by introducing some break dancing moves Viktor hadn’t known he was capable of. He’d never seen THAT at the studio. Then, to the audience’s enjoyment, Yurio matched his movements and added some of his own.

 

They continued with their back and forth throughout the entire song, each new movement increasing in difficulty and ‘wow’ factor. Finally Yuuri did a one handed handstand and hopped around the room, shifting his angle purposefully with each hop. Yurio just looked at him and snarled, like the angry kitten he was. Yuuri definitely won that round.

 

After his successful bout with Yurio, Yuuri headed straight to the champagne (which they had bought a few cases of). He downed a few more flutes of champagne, and wiping his lips, turned back to the group who was watching him expectantly. And this time it was Yuuri (not Viktor!) who decided he was too hot and had to divest himself of clothing. He started with his tie, which he promptly wrapped around his head. Phichit, who was staying fairly sober to make sure the humans were ok, whispered in his ear that the tie was a sure sign that things were about to get _fun_. Viktor had no idea what he meant, but was determined to stay sober enough to remember the evening.

 

Then.

 

He challenged Chris.

 

And somehow, somewhere, someone had magically set up a pole in their living room. Hmmm, Viktor thought, Yuuri must have had that for practice since he was going to teach it next semester.

 

Then every coherent thought left his head.

 

Yuuri pointed at Chris. “You. Pole. I _dare_ you…!!!!”

 

And of course Chris was up for the challenge. He immediately stripped down to his underwear. Yuuri, meanwhile mounted the pole and started showing off. He stepped aside to let Chris take a turn. And Chris being Chris of course had to make it as raunchy as possible. But Viktor couldn’t deny he was good. Then Yuuri decided to become serious. He removed his pants.

 

Viktor thought he was dead. (Oh wait, he was…)

 

Yuuri mounted the pole and danced like the performer he was. Between his grace and sultry stare, Viktor was entranced. Yuuri had pulled his hair tie out at some point and his hair was loose and circling around him, echoing and emphasizing every move he made. He could hear the wolf whistles of his friends in the distance, but he had eyes only for his Yuuri.

 

Yuuri dismounted and removed his shirt. He waved Chris over, and Chris once again mounted the pole and Yuuri jumped up above him (hopefully Sara and Otabek didn’t notice that one since it wasn’t exactly natural, but cool, he didn’t know he could use that skill on himself that way). The two began a dance that seemed choreographed around the pole, twisting and weaving, supporting first one, then the other. Yuuri, through dance, had the muscle strength to more than keep up with Chris and it made for an impressive display.

 

After a few minutes both finally dismounted, having exhausted their strength for the moment. Viktor just stared at Yuuri, totally amazed at his strength and talent. It didn’t seem to matter what form of dance was thrown at him, he could master it.

 

Yuuri did a small bow to the audience, grinning wildly and gathered his clothes. He then went to the kitchen, drinking some water Phichit forced on him. When he returned he looked a little less flushed and a tad more energetic. Where on earth did he get that stamina from, Viktor wondered.

 

He was walking straight to Viktor… with purpose. Uh oh. That could only mean…

 

“Vitya! Dance floor, NOW. I will _destroy_ you tonight.”

 

Viktor was rendered speechless. He had no idea what Yuuri was going to come up with next.

 

“Da,” he replied in a shaky voice, seemingly incapable of English.

 

Otabek started a new song, Spanish in influence with a steady beat, almost reminiscent of flamenco.

 

Yuuri stomped his foot then started his dance. He was purposeful and intense, never taking his eyes off Viktor.

 

Ahhh, he thought. Paso Doble. Well, he hadn’t trained in it, but he’d watched enough ice dancers who had. He could make it work.

 

The two started their impromptu duet, circling around each other like bull and bullfighter. Yuuri took the role of the bullfighter and Viktor took on the persona of the bull… pursued yet dangerous. As Yuuri approached him in the dance he played the bull as a woman being seduced, allowing himself to be dipped and spun, yet still not captured. Despite their roles, he couldn’t help laughing and smiling with Yuuri’s happiness. Yuuri’s emotions were so infectious, it was impossible not to be caught up in them.

 

The music ended on a dramatic note, and Yuuri bent him back in a deep dip. Viktor had raised his right leg to match the line of Yuuri’s body, and they froze like that for a second, caught up in the moment.

 

Applause broke out as well as wolf whistles and Viktor returned himself to where he had originally been sitting. And if his cheeks were a bit pink, well, that was the result of the exertion from dancing.

 

The music suddenly cut off and the TV came on. It apparently was _the_ show to watch, coming from New York’s Times Square. It was 11:55 pm. Viktor was now so attuned to the time from being a reaper he wasn’t surprised at all by the sudden change in focus to the TV. He watched with excitement as everyone else viewed the broadcast, following the countdown. As the host counted down the last ten seconds, Viktor turned to Yuuri, who was sitting above him. Yuuri was already staring down at him, eyes sparkling. “Vitya, let’s make our first year together a year to remember.”

 

As the ball dropped and shouts erupted from everywhere, Viktor just sat, staring back at Yuuri, swelling with emotion. Finally, he reached up to cup Yuuri’s cheek in his hand. “Of course, moy temnyy angel, your wish is my command.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And sigh... I just realized a lot of my formatting for emphasis was lost in previous chapters. Oops.
> 
> Phichit’s reap:  
> https://youtu.be/WGy0Vg0r1gY
> 
> Falling apart treadmill at 1:14 and the result at 0:58. Enjoy!
> 
>    
> So this line you might think is cheesy:  
>    
> He felt his emotions so strongly that it seemed when he laughed the whole world laughed with him, and when he cried the world trembled at his feet.
> 
> But that is the exact wording I used once to describe my son (who is autistic as it turns out) to a doctor. I imagine Yuuri, with his presentation skills, is like that too (minus the autistic part). He seems to feel everything more intensely than those around him which plays into his anxiety. And since he has trouble talking about those feelings, when he needs to express his emotions he emotes so strongly that even if he doesn’t realize it, the people around him can’t help but feel what he’s feeling too. And it’s this quality, this aspect of him, that draws people in and why they can’t ever look away.
> 
> And this is the kind of place I picture them living in:
> 
> http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2648-John-R-St_Detroit_MI_48201_M30042-77180#photo4
> 
> Next up: Viktor goes “nuts” practicing his skills, JJ shows up uninvited, Viktor learns the higher they rise, the faster they fall, and Yakov shows up for Viktor’s 3 month evaluation.
> 
> Chapter 11 will be posted Friday, Sept 1st at around 2 pm mountain time. Hopefully I can keep to 2/week now...


	11. We Want to Gather Nuts, But People Splatter our Guts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor goes “nuts” practicing his skills, JJ shows up uninvited, Viktor learns the higher they rise, the faster they fall, and Yakov shows up for Viktor’s 3 month evaluation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Beastie Boys, “Squirrels”  
> Not official video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N344aXAT7w  
> Lyrics Here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/squirrels-lyrics-beastie-boys.html  
> (Both are slightly offensive, but if you’re easily offended I assume you haven’t stuck around the story this long!)
> 
> Trigger warning: falling out a window
> 
> I'm a bit early today! On vacation and going skating right away to break in new skates :)

~~~~~~

 

_January 20, 2015_

 

Viktor was in a bit of a funk. He supposed it was to be expected since the holiday season was over. He just felt so... lonely. Everyone had gone back to school or work - back to their regular ‘lives’. But he didn’t have anywhere to go, save for part time at the studio. Sure, the first week had been busy as he helped with the startup of new classes, but it had been business as usual for the last two weeks and he found himself alone quite often with nothing to do. Even the much anticipated tango class was somewhat of a let down as he hadn’t yet partnered with Yuuri.

 

He was supposed to be thinking about how he wanted to spend his afterlife, but he just felt uninspired. He realized that he was sinking into the same mindset he’d had at the end of this life. And he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to return to that emptiness. He _refused_ to return to that emptiness.

 

Now he had Yuuri, and the rest of his friends in Detroit. He decided the next time he was in the studio he would make a point of tracking down Leo and Guang Hong. There were plenty of people he could socialize with, and it was time he stopped being so reliant on Yuuri and Phichit. Yes, he thought, that was what he needed to do. He needed to integrate himself more into the ‘life’ he had now. It wasn’t enough to just float along, he had to jump in and try new things, meet new people. If he did that, perhaps sorting out what path he wanted to take would come more naturally.

 

Having given himself a good pep talk, he planned his day. It was a rare day off and he decided to venture a little further from home. He hadn’t yet been to Belle Isle Park, and the aquarium there was supposed to be quite the attraction. He decided a change of scene was exactly what he needed, so after consulting handy old Google maps, he planned his day (seriously, now that he was stuck taking transit, the feature with the busses was so helpful!).

 

After getting himself ready and packing himself a lunch to eat in the park, he set out. Even though it was the dead of winter, he was looking forward to spending a little time outside. After the January stipend had arrived in his account, they had done a day trip into Canada to visit a Mountain Equipment Coop store that Phichit and Yuuri had sworn had the best gear for winter. Viktor had agreed after touring the store, and had stocked up on what he’d needed. Trust the Canadians to know how to do winter right.

 

It had been a fun adventure. Yuuri and Phichit had let him handle the memory modification since he didn’t have a passport yet. Everyone was pleased when it went off without a hitch, and Viktor was especially proud. He was _finally_ starting to make progress. Unlike skating, this had not come entirely naturally. He was, at heart, a hard worker, so it had been beyond frustrating to work that hard and not see success. But his persistence was finally paying off, and the results spoke for themselves.

 

Still… he couldn’t imagine completing an assignment on his own at this point. He needed more practice. He needed to see more -  how situations could be tweaked, what the obstacles were, and especially how to make sure there were contingencies in place in case something went wrong. He would NOT fail an assignment. After Geneva… that was an unacceptable outcome. That was beyond failure. A mistake that could never be rectified, with an innocent soul suffering from a reaper’s incompetence. He was determined that before he ever took on an assignment he had to be skilled enough that failure was not even a remote possibility.

 

With that in mind he started on his tour of the aquarium, thinking how he might be able to practice a bit on his own.

 

It was a beautiful building, the domed ceiling glowing somehow. Viktor was riveted, the whole scene feeling ethereal. It was not what he expected at all, and the whole experience left him with a feeling of calm that had been missing the last few weeks. It was good to do something just for himself, and something just for the fun of it.

 

As he’d promised himself, he went outside to eat his lunch, clearing a park bench of snow as he sat down. He had a thermos of soup to keep him warm and a sandwich. But knowing he was going outside, he’d brought some peanuts, just in case there might be some hungry squirrels around. He ate his lunch, enjoying the scenery as he noticed some of the wildlife start to gather. He chuckled to himself, thinking they must be very used to humans feeding them. Struck with a sudden thought, he texted Yuuri.

 

**XOXO ANGEL XOXO**

Can I practice moving stuff?  
Just nuts  
For squirrels

Where are you?

Belle Isle  
Outside aquarium

How close to the entrance?  
Will you be seen?

No. I’m a ways away  
Wanted a peaceful spot

Should be ok  
BUT  
YOU HAVE TO TEXT  
If the same thing happens  
Like the paperclip  
I can ...  
Get there *super* fast since I’m responsible  
So only ok if you make sure you can text

I’ll be good, I promise  
I’m sure I get it now  
But yes, I have my phone in my hand  
Just in case  
Will text you immediately if  
Anything is out of control  
I promise  
But…  
I want to make you proud  
I CAN do this

(￣▽￣)ノ  
I believe in you Vitya…

And now… failure is not an option  
(´ε｀ )♡

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor was still glowing from Yuuri’s confidence. The man was a natural mentor, always knowing when to encourage, when to be firm and when to let things go. He slowly ate his lunch, relaxing in the calm and quiet that winter always brought. He sat, admiring the crystals that had formed on top of the untouched snow, and the stillness and the clarity of the air that brought each sound to the forefront. There was nothing quite like the peace of winter, everything laid bare and exposed to its basic nature.

 

Shaking himself back to reality, Viktor cast his mind out to see what was around. He was happy to find that yes, there were several squirrels around and they all felt like they were fairly curious about him and whether he had food.

 

Reaching into his backpack, he grabbed the bag of nuts. Now that he had Yuuri’s permission, he was going to see how much he could do.

 

First he cast his mind out again, this time with a suggestion to the squirrels that they should come near. Sure enough, moments later there was a growing crowd of the little critters around him in a wide circle. He dropped a peanut on the ground, and reached with his mind, being careful to keep the energy pure, without any of Viktor in it, so to speak. Using just a little, he focussed it into the peanut causing it to skip along the ground towards one of the squirrels.

 

It was working!

 

The squirrel enthusiastically leapt forward to grab the nut, but Viktor wasn’t going to make it that easy. He kept moving the nut around, making it jump a few inches out of the squirrel’s grasp each time it came close. After the better part of a minute, he let the squirrel have the nut. It ran away, carrying its prize in its mouth happily.

 

Pleased with himself, he tried with another nut. He repeated the same thing, making the nut dance in front of a nearby squirrel, though not for as long. He didn’t want to tease the poor thing too much. On his third try he decided to try more than one nut at once. Knowing it could go very wrong, he made sure his phone was unlocked and his message with Yuuri open.

 

He dropped two nuts and sent them off to squirrels in opposite directions. Success! He repeated the process with three nuts this time, and found that it was becoming easier each time.

 

He looked around. There were six squirrels still hanging around. Could he do it? Yes, yes he could. And he wanted to show Yuuri. So he turned his phone to video and propped it up on his backpack, making sure that it had a good view of the scene. He then counted out six nuts, concentrated, closing his eyes, and tossed them to the ground.

He was going to have fun with this.

He imagined himself as a composer, and to a melody only heard in his head, he used his hands to direct each of the nuts in different directions. Soon he had the nuts dancing, twirling and jumping above the snow, in and amongst the squirrels. He continued like that for a good couple minutes, increasing the distance between the nuts slowly until the area encompassed a good fifteen feet across. Then, as the music in his mind reached a crescendo, the nuts flew about two feet in the air and came crashing down, laying still as he withdrew his energy from them.

 

As Viktor stopped the recording, the squirrels all made a mad dash, each getting their nut and getting the hell out of dodge.

 

Proud of himself, he sent the footage to Yuuri, and packed up to go home.

 

~~~~~~

 

He had stopped at the store on his way home, picking up some ingredients for a new recipe, so by the time he got home it was around 3:00. Phichit would be home soon, and he was excited to tell him about his day. He put away on his groceries and settled down on the couch with a book.

 

Not too much later he heard the key in the lock and Phichit came in.

 

“Oh look! If it isn’t the our extra special _apprentice_. I was expecting to come home to a bunch of mops and brooms cleaning the townhouse. I’m a bit disappointed, Viktor.” Phichit gave him a teasing pout.

 

“Um, excuse me? What are you talking about?

 

“Oh, come on Viktor, I know you’ve seen Disney’s Fantasia. Or at least at any rate you’re familiar with the music.”

 

“Well yes, I considered doing an exhibition piece a song from that a long, long time ago. But I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Phichit started laughing as he flopped on the couch opposite Viktor. “Yuuri sent me your video.”

 

Viktor frowned. He still didn’t understand. “What do squirrels chasing nuts have to do with Disney?”

 

“Um, Viktor, did you actually *watch the video before sending it?”

 

Oh no. What had he done now? It must be pretty bad if Phichit was this *animated about it. “Um, no. Maybe I should do that now?”

 

“Oh yes, please, Viktor. I want to see your face when you realize what you did.”

 

Oh no. This was not going to be good. Viktor unlocked his phone and played the video.

 

Sigh.

 

He really was his own worst enemy.

 

The camera had captured the scene perfectly, and not just the squirrels, but himself as well. And there he was, dancing around and waving his fingers as if they had the strings to marionettes tied to them. Leading the nuts, and by extension the squirrels, in some sort of demented pied piper dance.  And all the while he was humming the song he’d been thinking of at the time -  and sure enough, it was “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” from Fantasia. No wonder Phichit had called him an apprentice.

 

And he thought the paperclip incident was bad… he wondered how many decades it would be before they would let this one go…

 

~~~~~~

 

_January 22, 2015_

 

They were sitting around the dining room table, enjoying dinner and listening to Phichit talk about his students’ antics. His students, being musical theatre junkies, certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Mila had joined them that night, so the conversation was more lively than usual, and she added some stories of her own.

 

Suddenly, the door burst open. Viktor was expecting to hear the typical angry shout Yurio usually blasted when he came over. Instead he heard an unfamiliar voice.

 

“Your KING has arrived!!! Why hello, my gents and lady of the court. It’s been awhile since your King has graced himself with his presence.”

 

What the hell? The man who had entered was tall, with tan skin and dark brown hair with an undercut. Behind him, and looking sheepish, was a woman who looked to be of at least part Asian descent but with blue eyes. Viktor hadn’t seen either before.

 

“JJ, just because you have a key doesn’t mean you can come over without prior warning,” Phichit admonished. Viktor looked to him and Yuuri, noting that both had frowns, but they didn’t look alarmed in any way.

 

Viktor’s brain then caught up with the situation. OHHH… this was JJ. Their unit’s specialist. The one who… had been responsible for Yuuri. But who was the girl?

 

“Well, my dear _peaches and cream_ , I just had to introduce you to the love of my life.” With that announcement, JJ entered further and guided the woman behind him into the room. “May I introduce your Queen-to-be Miss Isabella Yang.”

 

There was complete silence.

 

Viktor decided to take a back seat and let everyone else deal with things.

 

Finally, Mila broke out of her silence and got up to approach Isabella.

 

“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mila, one of JJ’s, um friends.” She offered her hand out politely.

 

Isabella smiled at her, taking her hand. “No need for that,” she replied, reaching to her neck and pulling a wooden pendant from under her scarf. “I know who you all are. You’re the number one unit, everyone knows who you are, even your latest addition,” she said, nodding her head toward Viktor.

 

At that they all followed Mila’s lead and got up to greet Isabella, JJ being largely ignored.

 

“Have you two eaten? I can whip something up pretty quickly,” Viktor offered.

 

“Of course, you should serve your King! Come, Isabella, let’s make you more comfortable.” With that announcement, JJ took off his coat, threw it at Yuuri and took a seat on the couch.

 

Viktor could see immediately why everyone avoided JJ. He wondered if all specialists were this… deranged. Sighing, he went back to the kitchen, leaving his dinner unfinished. He’d just make a quick pasta. They had plenty of salad still to go with it. Everyone else went back to eating, ignoring JJ completely.

 

To his surprise, Isabella joined him in the kitchen. “Sorry about putting you to the trouble Viktor. JJ can be a little overbearing, but really he’s just nervous being around everyone and meeting you for the first time. His anxiety comes out in some strange ways sometimes. Don’t let it put you off, he’s really a kind person underneath it all.”

 

Yeah, sure, kind, Viktor thought…maybe, but so far the traits that were standing out were delusional, arrogant and narcissistic.

 

As the pasta cooked, Viktor realized he had an opportunity to get more info on… certain matters he sometimes contemplated.

 

“So, Isabella, I didn’t congratulate you. I think JJ’s proclamation was intended to announce your engagement? I hadn’t imagined that reapers would get married.”

 

She blushed, “Yes, and he was so excited to tell all of you. It rarely happens, so he’s been worried what others might think. It is, after all, a big commitment.”

 

“But how does that work? I mean it’s just paper registered to two false identities. It doesn’t really have much meaning in this world does it?”

 

“Well no, technically it doesn’t. Not in the human world. You’re still so new, you probably haven’t realized this yet...but. Hmm. How to explain it?” She paused, tapping her finger to her lip in thought. “You know the bond that you have with your unit? I’m sure you’ve seen how strongly everyone feels about each other, like family?”

 

“Yes, we’re all extremely close, and we call each other family. But I thought that was just because we share the fact that we’re not human anymore?”

 

“No, it’s more than that. Right now you’re not alive. The you that exists right now is your soul, the core of who you are, just in physical form. When you bond with someone in this form, your soul is unprotected, it’s without the shields that humans normally use to protect themselves. And it’s not in the protection that exists in Tir Bheannaithe that shields and insulates souls from harm. In this form we feel all our emotions more deeply, and because of that they leave deep imprints in our souls that will carry on to our future lives. I mean, it’s not the Law of Magnetism or anything, but it’s still stronger than any relationship you’ll develop in any other form.”

 

Viktor started slightly at the mention of the Law of Magnetism, but Isabella wasn’t directing it at him, just mentioning it in a general sense. Viktor still wasn’t sure how he felt about more people knowing. Not until he and Yuuri had talked about it properly, anyway.

 

“Ok... so when you choose to get married, I guess that you’re saying the legal marriage in the human world lasts only as long as your identities, but the bond lasts until you retire? And then sort of carries over when you’re reborn?”

 

“You’ve got it Viktor! I mean in the next life it’s not like we’d be drawn together or anything. As I said, it’s not the Law of Magnetism. But if we were to meet, we’d feel like we’d met before and become friends easily. Of course if we were to break up, it would affect us just as strongly but in a negative sense. It’s a risk, since it could end up permanently hurting our souls. That’s why not many reapers choose to date another reaper, never mind get married. And that’s why JJ was so nervous to tell all of you. You know, rumour has it that Yakov was married once. But no one knows what happened, and we’re certainly not going to ask.”

 

Viktor thought on that while he drained the pasta and assembled plates for them. He smiled at Isabella as he handed her a plate. “Thanks for the chat! It helped me understand a little more about this existence… and really, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you two well.”

 

Isabella smiled back at him and took another plate for JJ. “Thank you Viktor, that really does mean a lot.”

 

Viktor paused for a moment, watching the absolute joy with which JJ welcomed her back. He turned to Yuuri, contemplative, before returning to the table and his now ice cold dinner. He hadn’t realized how vulnerable their souls were in the afterlife. Now he was glad they were taking things slow and getting to know eachother better. And with the amount of time they had, this was just a blink of the eye.

 

As he sat down Yuuri slung an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. “So kind, my Vitya. You’re always taking care of others first.”

 

“Well, it’s only polite!” he retorted.

 

Yuuri laughed and ruffled his hair. “You’re right, we’re not being very good hosts, are we? Alright, I’ll go talk to JJ. Come on, Phichit, you’re coming with me.”

 

Phichit groaned, but got up anyway.

 

Mila stayed with Viktor as he finished his meal to keep him company. “You know, the thought is appreciated, but I think once you get to know him a bit better, you’ll see it doesn’t really matter. JJ is so focussed on himself he doesn’t actually notice if people are rude to him. And he’s rude to everyone and high maintenance and really just a pain to deal with.”

 

“Well, that’s just… he must have some good qualities.”

 

“I’m sure he did once… and I’m sure that they are still there underneath it all. You see Viktor… not everyone can transition to being a reaper as easily as you. In fact, I don’t ever recall anyone transitioning so calmly.” Mila was frowning, deep in thought. "Although... now that I think about it, there's more to you and Yuuri, isn't there? No, never mind." She shook her head, "Don't answer that now, I didn't mean to put you on the spot. That's a conversation for another time."

 

“Anyway, back to the subject. Sometimes, all of this is too much to take in. And the sometimes is more often than maybe you realize. Since there’s also one specialist assigned to every unit, it’s easy math that tells you it’s one in four to one in six reapers that end up like that. That’s a pretty high ratio when you think about it. But it makes sense. I’m sure you’re seeing how hard it is for Chris, and he doesn’t experience what it really means to be a reaper - he’s never seen an assignment beyond accidentally seeing the aftermath of yours. He’s also never had to deal with the reality that he will be expected to do it himself. So knowing that, you can see how when someone is called, it can be more than they can handle.”

 

Viktor nodded. After all, he’d been having some serious worries about how the knowledge was affecting Chris.

 

“So sometimes,  the reaper compensates by taking on an exaggerated persona that they begin to believe is their true self. They maintain these delusions to protect themselves from the bigger reality that they don’t want to admit exists. That’s what JJ has done. He’s convinced himself that he’s a “king”, and that he’s got superpowers beyond other reapers that enable him to pull off these spectacular mass assignments. That’s why he specializes in natural disasters and plagues. For him, the bigger the assignment the better. And to rationalize this to himself he really believes that he’s better than all of us; that he’s ‘king’.”

 

“That’s just… sad.”

 

“Well, yes and no. It’s a coping mechanism. He’s protecting himself from things that he can’t or isn’t ready to handle. And that’s ok, there’s nothing wrong with that since besides being an obnoxious jerk, what he’s doing is harmless. And it’s good because it enables him to do the massive deaths, which is something that the rest of us have trouble handling. So really, it’s a win/win situation. … For now anyway.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, Isabella seems to be getting through his delusions to his true self. And that means that sooner or later he won’t need those delusions. When he comes back to himself, he may not be able to handle his role any longer and want to retire. So being with her may give him joy, but it may also shorten his existence as a reaper significantly. It’s a risky position they’ve put themselves in, and Isabella must really be in love since she would understand those repercussions better than JJ right now.”

 

Viktor nodded, a little overwhelmed by everything he’d learned that night. Things had certainly been easy for him… well, except for Geneva. And there were hints that not everything to do with that was as easy as he’d thought either. He was glad that he’d been taking things seriously instead of just coasting along. No question, this existence had its dark and dangerous side as much as it had its joys as well.

 

“Come on, Viktor, no long faces! Now that you’re finished eating, let’s go join the others so you can experience first hand what it means to be ‘the subject of King JJ’!” Mila laughed, dragging Viktor up.

 

As it turned out, Viktor had enough of ‘King JJ’ very quickly. And fortunately the couple didn’t stay very long after they had eaten. The three of them had a good laugh after they left at JJ’s insistence on being called “king”. He certainly was abrasive, a stark contrast to Isabella’s charm. But they all agreed, Isabella would be good for him.

 

~~~~~~

 

It was the next morning, and Yuuri had left for an early meeting with Celestino. Viktor was on Yuuri’s laptop randomly searching job ads, trying to see if anything caught his interest. He wasn’t getting a job just yet, but it was a good way to get some ideas. He sighed. Nothing seemed all that interesting. Not any more interesting than his job at Minako’s at any rate.

 

Yuuri walked in a few minutes later and handed his envelope to Viktor. He was wearing his hair loose, a rare thing that Viktor encouraged as much as he could. He could hardly wait until he could grow his hair out as well. Not that his compared to how luxurious Yuuri’s was.

 

He took the paper out of the envelope.

 

**Mitchell Price, 7:45 pm, January 24, 2015, Detroit, MI, USA**

  
“Assignment is a lawyer, 25 years old, works for a big firm in litigation. Has a new girlfriend, mother is deceased, father is also a lawyer and lives in Delaware. Currently working on a big lawsuit that starts Monday. Wow, that’s all he can think about. He will be at the office all weekend. That sounds easy.”

  
“Well, yes it sounds easy. But no, it’s not. In fact, these are the ones that can go wrong the most easily. He’s young so health conditions are more difficult. It would be incredibly awkward to get him out of the building. He’s so fixated on that case that it would be out of character so he’d probably fight any death if we didn’t let him stay and work - plus his coworkers are going to be there too, so there’s the possibility of their interference and memory modification on top of it. If we want to make it the easiest on him, it has to be something, probably accidental, that happens while he’s working. So I’ve thought of several scenarios, and I’ll decide which one to use after we’ve observed for a while and see what would suit the best. But be prepared Vitya, this is one of those times that a reaper has to think on their feet. And it’s not easy in the heat of the moment with the clock ticking. Worst case scenario, I’ll use electrocution. There’s almost the means for that in this day and age.”

 

Viktor raised his eyebrows at him. “Hmmmm…so I’ve learned.”

 

Yuuri turned bright red and started pulling on his hair, even though it was loose. “I already told you, it’s your own fault. You should have stuck with your original plans!”

 

“Oh Yuuri, I’m just teasing you. Come here.” Viktor grabbed him by the waist from behind and pulled him into a hug. Then, to lighten the mood, he let go and attacked the spots on Yuuri’s ribcage that he knew were the most ticklish, sending him into a fit of giggles.

 

~~~~~~

 

_January 24, 2015, 7:00 pm_

  
Viktor and Yuuri were in the assignment’s office, invisible to everyone and staking out the situation. It was a scene of amazing chaos and tension. Viktor had never really been into those law drama shows on TV and frankly had never really thought about what the world of litigation might be like.  
One thing he now knew for sure - he would never want to be a lawyer. Ever.

 

There were 5 lawyers working on this case - 2 seniors, 2 intermediates and 1 junior. Added to that they seemed to have one paralegal and an assistant. All who were working at 7:00 pm on a Saturday night. The assignment was the junior lawyer, and he seemed to be getting the shit end of the stick. The seniors would yell at the intermediates, who would then panic and pass it down to the poor junior who looked like he was about to have complete breakdown.

 

The activity was centered in a large corner boardroom on the 43rd floor. Viktor had been admiring the view of the city - the floor to ceiling windows on both sides made for a spectacular panoramic view. Boxes and boxes of paper were piled around, each catalogued and labeled meticulously. The seniors appeared to be working on last minute speaking notes, cross examination questions and organizing the general strategy and format of their oral submission. As they worked they would randomly call out for someone to find a piece of evidence, verify a fact, look up something in the opposing party’s submissions or find some obscure case.

  
At around 7:30 an argument broke out between the two seniors, something about how they were going to distinguish a case being relied on by the opposing party. One wanted to distinguish it on the facts, the other wanted to rely on a parallel line of cases. The latter one turned to the junior and demanded that he copy all the cases in “the box labeled _Keithson v. Stockton_ , it’s in the right hand corner of my office in the second row, third from the bottom”.

  
As the assignment left to carry out the order, Yuuri and Viktor followed. It was close enough to the assigned time, they needed to stay close by and make sure that Yuuri had the means to complete the assignment.

  
They had been talking about the different possibilities. Being a top tier firm, it had its own kitchen and catering staff so there were plenty of snacks set out that he could choke on if necessary. If he was using the copier, there was the possibility of electrocution. Those were the top two they had discussed as they were the easiest to carry out, depending on how things went at the time. Yuuri said he’d decide about three minutes before the assigned time and plant the right suggestion (need copies or getting hungry) then.

  
The assignment was currently in the office of the really bossy senior lawyer, looking for the box where he’d find the requested cases. Viktor looked around, somewhat bored. The office was opulent, but COVERED in paper. There were boxes and binders stacked everywhere, leaving very little room to walk. Although the desk was dominated by two screens and a keyboard, every available surface was covered. The bookshelves were jammed full of what he assumed were reference books. Viktor shuddered. And he complained (admittedly mostly for show) about the paperwork at Minako’s…

 

The assignment located the cases and ran out of the room at full speed to the copy room. It was getting close now, 7:38. Looked like it might be death by copier.

 

They followed him to the copy room and watched, both flabbergasted, as he quickly programmed this massive ten foot long printer and just set the stack of paper on top. The machine quickly sucked in the paper, and faster than you could blink started producing two sets of double sided copies, stapled and in colour. Yuuri mutter to himself, “What is this, a print shop?”

 

He then turned to Viktor. “I don’t like this. I think we need to plant the hunger suggestion. This is going too quickly and he’s so absorbed it’s going to be very, very difficult to get him out of his mindset without basically turning him into a zombie.” Yuuri went with it, planted the suggestion, and added some manipulation to the assignment’s digestive system for good measure. Within seconds, they could hear the assignment’s stomach rumble, and the man frowned, looking at his phone.  
“7:42,” he sighed, talking to himself. “Can’t take a break yet. I promised myself not until 8:00. I’ll show those old warhorses what I’m made of.”

  
“Shit!” Yuuri said. “I’ve never encountered someone who could resist like this. Buckle your seatbelt Vitya, the ride is about to get bumpy. We have three minutes. Anything goes.”

 

Two minutes passed in tense silence. The assignment was not budging an inch despite Yuuri’s increased pressure, both with the suggestion and his body’s insistence that he should eat. It was so intense, Viktor could feel the energy coming from Yuuri, he didn’t have to cast his mind out at all. Finally, at 7:44, the machine finished with the copies, and the assignment grabbed them.

 

‘Got it. New plan. Watch carefully.” Viktor watched as Yuuri changed gears and started suggesting to the assignment that he had to run, fast, or else the “old warhorse” would fire him then and there. Petrified, the assignment ran as fast as he could towards the boardroom, bursting through approximately 30 seconds before his assigned time.

 

As Viktor watched, the assignment tripped on a cord that ran between the table and the wall (that hadn’t been like that before, good one Yuuri) and went flying towards the windows. The assignment threw the papers at the senior lawyer, and with an ominous thunk, hit the window.

 

But Yuuri wasn’t done there.

 

There was a popping noise, and the window popped out of its frame, sending the window and the assignment 43 floors down to the street below.  
25 seconds later they heard a muffled thud and distant screams. The others in the boardroom stared at the missing window completely dumbfounded.

 

**7:45 pm**  
Assignment complete.

 

They walked out, avoiding the cases the assignment had so carefully copied, which were now scattered around the boardroom, fluttering in the breeze from the open window.

~~~~~~

 

As they walked to the bus, Viktor contemplated the night’s work. He had finally seen a situation where not everything went to plan. Yet if he hadn’t been privy to Yuuri’s thoughts, he never would have known.

 

“Yuuri, is this what it was like with me? I mean you commented before that I didn’t go to plan.”

 

“No, nothing like tonight Vitya. I’m used to improvising, so that was ok. Tonight was a bit different. I’ve never run across a human that could resist like that. It’s possible he may have been a reaper previously. He seemed too familiar with what I was trying to do. Actually, that’s really important. You saw how he easily resisted a suggestion that wasn’t in his mental plan for the night?”

 

“Yes. Although it shouldn’t have been too strange to be hungry or to want a snack when you physically feel hungry.”

 

“Yes, it seemed that way to us. But his soul was fixated on his own plan. So I had to come up with a suggestion that was consistent with that plan. Getting to the senior lawyer as fast as he could was already in his thoughts. And the fear of being fired has pervaded his thinking every day since he became an associate. So I decided that was the best route to take. Once I did that, I quickly scanned the room and set up the physical environment to make it happen - I mean the cord and the window.”

 

“Wow. Ok. So, I get it, you were reading his mind the whole time to get a feeling of what his thoughts were so you could find the path of least resistance in case the first plan failed.”

 

“Exactly. And the longer you maintain contact, the easier it is. And when it’s easy, then you can divide your attention between many things, which is how I could do the cord and window at the same time. It’s really no different than what you did with the nuts.”

 

Viktor instantly understood. “I totally get it. As I was experimenting, the more I did it, the easier it was because the feeling of it was familiar... hmmm… I mean I got used to how it felt to move the nutes, so it was easy to split my attention.”

 

Yuuri gave his shoulder a light punch and grinned. “See Vitya, I told you you’ll be fantastic. And deadly, especially with manipulating objects.”  
Viktor grinned back at him. For the first time in a while, he was starting to feel confident in his abilities. He could do this. He WOULD do this.

 

~~~~~~

 

_January 25, 2015_

  
Viktor was nervous, nervous unlike he’d ever been before at the prospect of talking to Yakov. He was used to be judged and critiqued by Yakov, but this time things would be different. Much different. It wasn’t the power that Yakov had over Viktor’s soul that had him worried - for the first time he was petrified of failing Yakov, of not meeting his expectations. And for some reason it was vitally important to him that he go beyond those expectations and make Yakov proud.

 

He thought back to how arrogant he’d been when Yakov was his coach - how disrespectful and downright dismissive he’d been, and he was ashamed. The past few months had given him a new perspective on things, and if nothing else, he was grateful for at least that. Yakov had been a father figure to him, yet aside from giving him gold medals, he’d done very little to thank the man for his time and attention.

 

Yuuri didn’t seem worried at all. In fact he was with Phichit on the couch, the two gaming as per usual. When Viktor had brought it up to him previously, he’d just smiled and told him he worried too much.  He supposed he should listen to Yuuri. After all, Yuuri was Yakov’s favourite. But Yuuri also wasn’t privy to the relationship that Viktor had had with Yakov. This was more important to Viktor than he’d let on.

 

Finally the doorbell chimed and they heard a key in the door. As Viktor had learned, their home was the unofficial headquarters for the unit so everyone had a key, Yakov included. Viktor moved forward to greet him, so focused on what was to come he completely forgot about Yuuri and Phichit.

 

Yakov entered, removing his hat and coat as he moved forward. “Viktor. I hear from Celestino things have been going well. Let’s sit down and evaluate the reports, shall we?”

 

Uhhh… Celestino had been sending reports? He remembered Yuuri mentioning something about Celestino reporting but he’d never asked the details. “Of course, let’s sit in the dining room. Can I get you anything? We do have some decent vodka.”

 

Yakov smiled at him, a true smile that was a definite upgrade from the usual grimace he’d received countless times while alive. “I see you’ve found your manners, Vitya. I’m fine for now, but when we’re done, I’d appreciate your offer.”

 

At that moment Yuuri joined them. “Reaper Katsuki, I see you’ve been performing your duties well, as usual.”

 

“Of course, Yakov. You know to expect nothing less from me. Failure is not an option in anything that I’m assigned. Including Viktor. Shall we begin?”

 

“Of course.” Yakov turned to Viktor. “As Yuuri has mentioned I am here to evaluate your progress at three months. What I am evaluating includes the development of your reaper skills, how well you’ve adapted to being a reaper, your general mental state and your general suitability to continue on this path. Do you have any questions?”

 

“No sir, I understand fully.”

 

Yakov looked slightly taken aback. He turned to Yuuri, “I don’t know what you’ve done, but congratulations.  I’ve spent 17 years attempting to teach this boy respect and humility and you’ve managed it in three months.” He shook his head.

 

“It was Geneva,” Viktor explained. He needed Yakov to understand how and why he had changed. “That was all the perspective I needed. I now understand my place in the universe and I respect that role. Medals and fame and especially wealth are trivial compared to this responsibility. This isn’t skating. ‘Losing’ is NOT an option.”

 

Yakov eyed him for a moment, evaluating what he had said, then nodded. “We were all worried about how you would come out of that incident. It was much too soon. And many a reaper has either lost their sanity or worse after seeing that. But I should have known you would have taken it as a lesson. As much trouble as you gave me during your life, if there was one thing that I could always be confident in, it was that you always learned from your mistakes, and never repeated them. I’m glad that part of you hasn’t changed.” He looked to Yuuri who was sitting beside Viktor. “And good job making sure he made it through. When he sank the second time I thought we’d lost him.”

 

Viktor looked at Yuuri, startled. Yuuri’s face was closed off, and he acknowledged Yakov’s words with the barest of nods. When he sank the second time? Lost him? Was there something that Yuuri hadn’t told him? He made a mental note to bring it up later.

 

“Ok, so back to business. Your reports indicate that you have now successfully and consistently demonstrated mind control techniques - that is the planting of suggestions and memory modification, at an intermediate level. And the latest report, submitted yesterday indicated an advanced level at object manipulation. After the debacle with the paperclip, I have to say I find that hard to believe. Katsuki, care to speak to that assessment please?”

 

Viktor winced at the mention of the paperclip incident. Was no one ever going to let him forget that? Meanwhile, the last bit had caught Phichit’s attention.

 

“Oh, Yakov, we have video evidence! Wait until you see it, it’s downright _magical_!” Phichit started cackling at his own joke. Yuuri, meanwhile, was cuing up the video on his phone.

 

Viktor just sighed and put his head in his hands, his face bright red. He honestly didn’t know how he managed to make everything so comical, but apparently it was his special talent. Having seen the video, he couldn’t deny that it was completely ridiculous. And if he was really being truthful with himself, he had to admit Phichit was right - he did tend to be a little ‘extra’.

 

Yuuri was playing the video for Yakov, and Yakov’s eyebrows were twitching. Somehow he managed to maintain his composure, which was more than Yuuri was able to do.

 

As the video came to its rousing conclusion, Yuuri pulled himself together and reigned in his laughter. “So, as you can see, apart from a rather good imitation of Disney’s Fantasia, Viktor is able to control more than five objects at once, and have them move independently of each other with rather...erm… intricate movements. I believe that qualifies for the advanced level for that particular skill.”

 

Yakov sighed, looking at Viktor. “Yes, it certainly does. I guess I’m glad to see you’ve found some outlet for your childishness Viktor, but just don’t be pulling stunts like that on an assignment.”

 

“Ok, moving on, next is how well you’ve adapted. Reviewing the reports, you’ve shown acceptance of your situation that is faster and more stable than we usually see, probably due to your situation with Katsuki. I’m quite satisfied there. Now your mental state…” Yakov sat back and Viktor gulped. He had that look he had when he was going to say something Viktor didn’t want to hear.

 

“Normally I have no idea what a reaper was like before their call. But of course, you, I knew well. And you might have thought you were hiding it, but I knew about your depression, Vitya, even if you weren’t admitting it to yourself. Between that and the Geneva matter, Yuuri and Celestino have been watching you very closely. The first reports they submitted showed a particular concern regarding your mental state, which was no surprise to me.” Yakov paused to let that sink in.

 

Viktor looked at Yuuri, who glanced back at him looking sheepish. Viktor wasn’t sure how he should feel - he hadn’t realized that he was being scrutinized so minutely. And, he thought, Yuuri and maybe even Celestino were probably entering his mind somewhat to do so. Yuuri hadn’t mentioned that specifically when he’d talked about not looking at his private thoughts that one time. Why hadn’t he mentioned it? Should he be embarrassed or feel violated because he didn’t know? He shook his head mentally. No, he understood the necessity.

 

“I’m glad to hear that I was being monitored so closely. I certainly don’t want to become the next Jana. If I am not capable of doing this, I don’t want to try. The consequences are too great.”

 

“You really have grown up, Viktor.” Yakov paused. “Your last statement tells me two things. First, the later reports which state that your mental state is no longer a concern are accurate. And second, that at this point, I agree with the recommendation that you are suitable to continue as a reaper.”

 

“My conclusion, from the reports and the conversation we’ve had today, is that you are doing very well, and are progressing at a faster rate than expected. Good work Viktor. Keep it up and you’ll be deserving to be in this unit. I think unless I see anything in Celestino’s reports that concerns me, I won’t need to check in again until the six month mark. At that time you may be ready for clearance to begin your own assignments, but we’ll see. There’s no rush.”

 

Viktor smiled widely, and Yuuri wrapped an arm around him. “See, I told you Vitya, nothing to worry about.”

 

Viktor looked back at Yakov. “How about I get that vodka now?”

 

“Da, Vitya, I’d like that very much.” Yakov smiled back at him, his face softer than it had looked in years and his expression fond.

  
Viktor handed out the vodka, and when he sat back down Yakov raised his glass. “To your enduring happiness, Vitya. May you continue to find in death what eluded you in life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktor’s squirrel song (start it about 3:29 for the general melody):  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DX2yVucz24
> 
> Yuuri’s reap inspiration:  
> http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/window.asp  
> To quote snopes: “Our advice is to apply the same rule to architecture as you do to computers: Don’t ever bet your life on windows not crashing.”  
> Of course I had to do a shout out to my own country, national pride and all that. But in all seriousness, check this out. It’s our bronze nationalist going by helicopter to the top of the mountains to skate on a frozen mountain lake. SO BEAUTIFUL. There really are no words for how incredible this is. The mountains are in my backyard so to speak but the beauty here… just unreal...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhnVWWzgNwg
> 
> Up next: More paperclips, Viktor plays with security cameras, a deadly Valentine’s date and Yuuri has a surprise for Viktor.
> 
> Chapter will be posted Tuesday, Sept 5th probably around 3pm mountain time but maybe later depending on editing.


	12. The More I Look, the More I Find the Reasons Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More paperclips, Viktor plays with security cameras, a deadly Valentine’s date and Yuuri has a surprise for Viktor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title reference is in the end notes. I don’t want to spoil anything. (͡° ʖ °)
> 
> I have never been in an American police station, nor I have ever been further than the front counter of one in my own country, so whatever I’ve written is bound to be completely inaccurate :)
> 
> Trigger warning: mild panic attack, (compared to mine anyway), heart attack
> 
> And thanks to everyone who's left comments or kudos :) I welcome comments! (pls, I *need* feedback!)

~~~~~~ 

 

_February 7, 2015_

 

**ChrisDaMan**

Hey!  
Congrats on gold at Euros!!!!  
So what are your plans for your bday?  
New boyfriend plan anything special?

(͡° ʖ °)  
Oh yes, Masumi has plans  
Not that I know what they are yet  
But he gave he a packing list

 

Nice!  
Sounds like he’s planned a good time

And you?  
V-day with Yuuri…. (͡° ʖ °)

Yeah, still trying to figure that out  
Don’t want to push too hard  
But still needs to be sweet  
¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Dinner?  
Can’t go wrong with that  
From what I’ve seen  
Presents not as much  
More the experience  
Seems to matter most

Yes!  
You’re right  
Just a nice evening  
That will make him happy  
…  
So…  
I didn’t tell you  
I passed the 3 month test!!!

 

What does that mean?

It was Yakov  
( ⚆ _ ⚆ )  
Scary  
Like never seen before scary  
But good. I did good

Yeah kinda have experience  
other world Yakov is weird type of scary  
Not coach Yakov scary  
It’s… well thought I’d die that night

Oh! NO!!! NO NO NO Chris!!!  
They wouldn’t do that  
It’s against the Rules  
So don’t worry  
At worst you just wouldn’t remember

Wouldn’t remember?  
...  
You ever do that Viktor?

Not to you  
But yes  
It’s really important

...

Dude  
Don’t think too hard on it  
It’s only when absolutely necessary  
Back to convo  
VALENTINE’S DAY  
Romance  
Love  
Etc

 

Whateves  
So you’re obviously needing help  
Just do a dinner at a nice restaurant  
Doesn’t have to be complicated

You are so right!  
Simple is best  
Especially with Yuuri  
He doesn’t like a fuss

See? You didn’t even need to ask!

 

~~~~~~

 

It sucked. Every conversation they had seemed to circle back to things that Chris shouldn’t know because they were too much to deal with.

 

Why did this have to be so hard?????!!!!!!???

 

Viktor knew he had to make some sort of choice. Not now...but it wasn’t too far off. He did want to keep Chris as a friend. But if he was going to keep talking to Chris at all he was going to have to keep the reaper stuff as much to himself as possible. He could do that… for now. He thought of the path going forward. He’d be the best friend he could be for Chris, but he would need to let their friendship go. It wasn’t good for Chris to live with this knowledge. It would affect his life too much, and Viktor didn’t want to be responsible for that.

 

He’d have to talk to Yuuri. Maybe Yakov too. Memory modification after they’d drifted apart might be the best way to help Chris. By that time seeing Viktor’s death should be so far back in his memory it wouldn’t be so hard to change the memory to something not involving reapers.

 

He put that out of his mind for the time being and headed over to the studio for his Saturday tango class. Yuuri had left early, saying he wanted to plan out a few more details for the workshops coming up. Viktor planned to spend the rest of the day there. He had some thoughts about how to organize the finances better and he wanted to spend some time plotting things out before he approached Yuuri and Minako about it. It was funny, he thought. At first he’d hated the paperwork, but now that he was starting to understand the accounting he really didn’t mind it. He had discovered he was actually really good with numbers.

 

When he arrived at the studio he took a quick peek at the classes. Leo’s was just ending, so he would have to make sure that he caught him before he left. Like he had promised himself, he had been trying to connect more with Leo and Guang Hong, though he seemed to miss Guang Hong more often than not.

 

He threw his stuff in the office and made his way to the break room, knowing Leo would be there soon to collect his stuff from the staff lockers there.

 

As he was tidying things up a bit, Leo came in. “Hey Viktor! Tango today, huh? I hear all the girls fight over who gets you as a partner - even the married ones! Must be nice.”

 

“Oh right, Leo, like you don’t have your share drooling over you. I don’t know, I find it more annoying than anything else. Some of them keep it professional, but most pretend they don’t know what they’re doing so they can get extra help from me or Yuuri.”

 

“Ohhhh…poor Viktor…. Such a sob story!”

 

Viktor chuckled. “You know I’m not interested in _them_. My interests lie elsewhere.”

 

“Oooohhh… so that’s how it is. I’ve been wondering. Yuuri doesn’t let anyone into his life like he does you.”

 

“No, no, don’t misunderstand me - it’s not quite like that. We are really close. But it’s … um… uh... complicated.”

 

“Well that sounds confusing as hell. But I guess that’s Yuuri for you. Guy definitely is mysterious? No that’s not quite right. Secretive? Private? I don’t know… I don’t mean it in a bad way, but it’s obvious there’s a lot more to him that he keeps to himself, ya know?”

 

Viktor did know. Very well as a matter of fact. “Must be his Japanese heritage. Their culture is inherently very private.” Viktor laughed. “Especially when you compare it to the US. Polar opposites almost. Americans overshare everything on social media, even the President.”

 

Leo laughed. “You’re totally right! I hadn’t thought of it that way but wow, he must be constantly cringing from our oversharing!”

 

Viktor smiled, glad he’d been able to successfully deflect Leo from the truth. “So, Leo, up for going for lunch sometime this week?”

 

“Of course! I think I have some free time on Monday. The rest of the week is a bit crazy though. Do you want to meet on campus again?”

 

“Sounds great! We can decide from there where we feel like going. Ask Guang Hong too if he’s free. I haven’t seen him in ages!”

 

~~~~~~

 

After yet another class where he had to fend off too many enthusiastic females, Viktor was more than happy to start looking at the finances. The last month he’d started to really understand the whole picture, and he thought things could really be improved. Minako used different programs for everything which made it hard to see the whole picture. If he could combine everything he thought he’d be able to see where he could find some efficiencies, and even find some additional sources of revenue.

 

He opened Excel and started the tedious and detailed work of importing all the information from various programs into one spreadsheet.

 

Within a minute he found himself distracted. This part was the hardest for him to focus on. The analysis would be more interesting, but the collation of the info - blech. It turned him into a kid with ADHD.

 

Ahhh… now that was an idea. He should use something to focus on like they gave kids in school. Hmmm… the latest thing in the news everyone was talking about. A fidget something. Fidget spinner? YES! That was it.

 

He looked around trying to find something that would suffice. He was drawn to the box of paperclips, how could he *not be drawn to that when no one would let him forget the last incident? But… it would probably be like the nuts, and probably the easiest thing to work with.

 

So he went with it. One by one he made the paperclips jump out of the box and line themselves up in neat rows. When there were enough that he thought it would keep him busy but not overwhelmed, he began to fashion them into tops. Then he made them spin, slowly at first, but then faster as he gained confidence.

 

Soon the desk was covered in spinning paperclip tops, and Viktor was finally able to fully focus on his spreadsheet.

 

Yuuri entered the office while Viktor was still in deep concentration. He only became aware of his presence when he heard a soft gasp. He looked up, bringing the paperclips to a stop and sending them back to their box. Yuuri looked… disturbed. He frowned.

 

“What’s wrong Yuuri?”

 

“*Vitya… when did you practice _that_???”

 

“Practice what? I’m just working on the spreadsheet I was talking about earlier.”

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a smartass. The paperclips. When did you figure out how to do that?”

 

“Oh, um, today? I just thought it would help me focus a bit more. I tend to get distracted when I’m working on this stuff so I thought it would help… kind of like a fidget spinner I guess?”

 

Yuuri huffed out a laugh. “That’s quite a ‘fidget spinner’! How many did you have going at once?”

 

“I don’t know… um…,” Viktor thought back to how he’d split his energy. “It was twenty seven.”

 

Yuuri collapsed against the wall, eyes wide. “Holy shit, Vitya. TWENTY SEVEN??? Are you sure?”

 

“Um, yes, yes I’m totally sure. I could do a few more but there wasn’t room on the desk. … why? Is that weird or something? OMG Yuuri don’t tell me I have to be a specialist!!! I’m not weird and I’m not delusional, I swear!!!”

 

The last bit drew Yuuri out of his stupor, and he chuckled. “Don’t worry, it takes more than _outstanding skill_ to turn you into a specialist. You said Mila talked to you about it, so you should know that. But wow… I remember saying that you would be deadly once you mastered this skill… I just didn’t realize how accurate that prediction would be.”

 

Viktor puffed his chest out a bit at that. “Oh, so does that mean we can *finally drop the paperclip incident? I think I’ve proven it will never happen again.”

 

Yuuri grinned wickedly. “Never, Vitya. NEVER. Newly minted reaper Nikiforov stories are GOLD, and from what I’ve seen so far, they’ll be legendary for centuries.” Yuuri paused. “OMG!!! Now you’re ‘Viktor the unliving legend’!!!” He broke off, consumed with laughter.

 

Fuck. Just… _FUCK._ Phichit and his damn gossiping. *Of *course all the other reapers knew of it already. No wonder Isabella had already known of him. He pouted… not a cute pout but a serious ‘I’m pissed’ grimace.

 

Yuuri relented and tried to reassure him a bit. “Don’t worry so much, Vitya. We all have our embarrassing stories from when we were first called. You’ve heard enough of mine to know that… and I’m sure that Phichit will fill you in on anything you haven’t heard yet.”

 

Viktor gnashed his teeth. “Phichit had better start sharing some of those stories…”

 

Yuuri laughed and moved behind him, wrapping his arms around him and resting his chin on top of Viktor’s head.

 

“All in good time, my dear Vitya. After all, we do have lots of it.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

_February 10, 2015_

 

Yuuri and Phichit had decided that Viktor needed to work on manipulating electronics, and more specifically, security cameras. This was a more difficult skill, but Yuuri said with the control that he had demonstrated with the spinning tops, he thought Viktor was ready to try it. The plan was Viktor would play with the security cameras with Yuuri’s supervision and Phichit would handle any necessary memory modification as the need arose.

 

Viktor was scared.

 

No.

 

Scared was an understatement. He was TERRIFIED.

 

He wanted to try things out by sneaking into a secured building or play with security cameras at a mall. Something simple, not too risky for his first attempt.

 

But, no. Apparently Yuuri and Phichit felt that wasn’t good enough. They said he needed a challenge. And told Viktor he had earned this challenge after the 2nd paperclip incident.

 

Riiiiight….

 

So this was how Viktor found himself spending his Tuesday night planning on how he was going to sneak into a _cop shop_ and somehow leave evidence that he was there. All without being seen.

 

He was so fucked. This was going to end badly and he would be caught and arrested and Yakov would come to mete out punishment, and …

 

“VIKTOR!!!” Yuuri snapped his fingers in front of Viktor’s face. “Vitya,” he continued as Viktor turned to face him, “it’s ok. Calm down, I can see you’re starting to panic.”

 

“Is this what that feeling is?’ Viktor asked, still in a daze. “I feel like I’m having a heart attack or the air is being sucked out of my lungs or maybe just that some giant is squeezing and crushing my chest in their hand.” Great, now he was rambling.

 

Yuuri chuckled. “It sounds like it’s just a bit of a panic attack, Vitya, don’t worry.”

 

“Don’t worry? How can I not worry? How can I function at all like this?!!!!??? I feel like I’m dying! No - this is worse than when I died. Dying wasn’t this bad. Yuuuurrriiii~!!!!”

 

“It’s just anxiety, Vitya. I should know. The same thing happened to me every time I had to compete, but most were a lot worse. Just hold my hand and breathe deeply.” Yuuri was speaking in a soothing voice, rubbing circles on Viktor’s back while holding his hand.

 

Viktor tried to focus on his words, and on his breathing, using the same techniques he used while doing yoga. Gradually he felt himself calming down.

 

When he felt calm enough he sat up straight and turned to Yuuri. “You competed like this?”

 

“Yes. All the time actually.” Yuuri was a little red and wouldn’t look Viktor in the eye.

 

“That’s incredible Yuuri. I knew you were strong, but being able to compete through something like that, and not only to compete, but to _win_ … you’re really amazing, you know that?”

 

“Oh, um… well I guess I never thought about it that way. I’ve always believed it to be my biggest weakness.”

 

“See, Yuuri! I keep telling you that and you never listen to me,” Phichit said with an eyebrow raised. “But of course if _Viktor_ says it, then you’ll listen, huh?”

 

Yuuri leaned forward and punched him on the shoulder. “NO. Don’t be like that. It’s just, Viktor lived in that world - he knows what it was like.”

 

“Uh huh. Nice try, Yuuri. I know where I stand.”

 

“BAD PHICHIT!” Yuuri tossed a throw pillow at him, finally figuring out Phichit was yanking his chain.

 

And with that, the last of the tightness in Viktor’s chest dissipated. He was still scared as hell, but he knew that Yuuri and Phichit wouldn’t let him down.

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 12, 2014_

 

They were approaching the 3rd Precinct… and Viktor was not the least bit ready for what was to come. Not even slightly. In complete contrast, Phichit and Yuuri were like five year olds about to attend a birthday party, which was not helping Viktor in the least.

 

Viktor nervously fingered the Sharpie in his pocket. He was supposed to leave some sort of evidence he had been there, but he wasn’t sure exactly what yet.

 

About a block away Phichit started working on making them invisible. Yuuri was trying to explain to him one last time how it worked.

 

“Ok, so we’re getting close. It’s almost time. Remember, first you cast your mind in a wide net. You look for a bunch of points that are all low voltage and connected. For your first time you probably want to confirm. So trace them back to their source and read the minds of the people they lead back to. That should tell you if you’ve got the right ones. And most important, make sure that you identify EVERY SINGLE POINT on that line. Otherwise you’ll miss one. We’re both going to follow you in. I’ll monitor what you’re doing and Phichit will modify memories as we make our way through.”

 

“And remember, Vitya, you screw this up and it’s going to be very, very difficult to get you out of the situation.”

 

Viktor gulped, or tried to. His throat was completely dry. “Gee, thanks Yuuri. That really helped to calm me down.”

 

Yuuri elbowed him. “No need to get snippy, little puppy. If we didn’t think you could do it, then we wouldn’t be letting you try.”

 

Viktor sighed. He knew that Yuuri was right. He also knew that there was probably a reason that Yuuri was pushing him like this. But he couldn’t think about it now. They were only 20 feet from the front door. It was time to focus.

 

Drawing a deep breath, he cast his mind out as Yuuri had instructed. This time he was looking for electrical impulses. He’d practiced that a bit at home, not actually touching anything (no way would he be responsible for damaging the TV or gaming system), but just trying to get familiar with how different electronics felt.

 

He started by the front door of the precinct, knowing that for sure there would be a camera there, so it was a good place to start. And… there it was. Or rather, there _they_ were. “Ok, Yuuri, I’ve got a read on the ones by the door.”

 

“Good. Now follow the little impulses that are coming from them and you should be able to sense the whole system.”

 

Viktor did as instructed, and sure enough soon he could sense dozens of cameras. Wow, this was going to be hard. He focused further, changing the imagery in his head and the little points of electricity became like a constellation in the night sky. Good! Now he’d be able to keep track of where they were in relation to all of them.

 

“I’ve got them now. We can start. Um, remind me how to freeze them?”

 

“Oh, that’s the easy part. Just wait until the space is empty. Then send your mind down the lines to the control room. Once there, set the cameras to loop for the last 20 seconds or so. Then we will pass, and once inside, release the loop. Now the _tricky_ part is that at the same time you have to be ready to do the same thing for the next set of cameras.”

 

“OMG Yuuri, I can’t do this.”

 

Phichit spoke up. “Of course you can Viktor! And if not, you’ll just enjoy a few days languishing behind bars.”

 

Viktor broke into a cold sweat and, not for the first time, he was glad that he had no heartbeat. If he had, it would be thumping so hard it would be threatening to jump out of his chest. And he certainly didn’t need that for an extra distraction. He took a deep breath. Ok, he could do this. He’d just take it really slow.

 

He approached the front door, the others following behind him. Waiting until it was clear, he did as Yuuri had instructed. And, oh! That was easier than he’d expected. Ok… next. He found that now that the cameras were on loop he could let go so he could concentrate on the next ones. He looked at the constellation he’d created in his head and concluded from the pattern of the cameras that they’d be entering a large lobby area with a single hallway opening slightly to the left.

 

Using the pattern in his head, he located the next set of cameras and prepared to send them into a loop. He put his hand on the handle of the door and started the next set of cameras to loop. They entered quickly, Phichit handling the minds of the people inside to make sure they remained unseen. The door closed behind them and Viktor let the first set of cameras stop looping.

 

He breathed in heavily. Success. So far. No he had to make his way further into the building and leave some sort of evidence he was there.

 

Reviewing the pattern of cameras again, he decided on a route and a destination that was just down the hall. There seemed to be a room not that far that had a camera in it, and he could feel the mind of a single person. He had an idea of what he might find there, and brushing his mind against the person’s mind, he confirmed his theory.

 

He smiled. Phichit was always accusing him of being extra. He might as well embrace it. His plan in place, he moved forward resolutely.

 

Repeating the process he had just used to get into the building, he made his way past the front desk, down the hall, and after a couple of twists and turns ended up in front of the room he’d found. He turned to look at Phichit and Yuuri, who had followed behind him, but they were just looking at him curiously, waiting to see what he would do next.

 

He smiled, turning back to the person in the room.

 

What he’d found was one of the precinct’s holding cells, and inside was a man accused of assault after a particularly violent bar fight. The man was large, muscled, and dressed in denim and leather. He looked like Yurio’s type, a hardened criminal who was very familiar with his surroundings. The man was fast asleep, although, since Phichit was still hard at work, he wouldn’t have noticed their entrance anyway. Just in case, Viktor whispered a suggestion to the man to make sure he stayed asleep for the next few minutes.

 

Viktor took the Sharpie out and removed the cap. Concentrating, he sent the sharpie into the cell and very carefully drew a moustache on the man, an exaggerated handlebar moustache, thick in the centre and the ends curled up comically. The man twitched in his sleep, the marker obviously tickling a bit, but didn’t wake up.

 

Finished, Viktor brought the Sharpie back, capped it and replaced it in his pocket. Drawing a deep breath in relief, he turned to go, knowing he had to retrace his steps just as carefully.

 

But apparently they weren’t leaving at that particular moment.

 

Yuuri and Phichit were standing in some weird sort of hug, heads pressed against each other’s shoulders and shaking.

 

Viktor sighed and rolled his eyes.

 

Of course they laughing at him. At least they were stifling their laughter to allow him to focus properly. Celestino hadn’t been kidding when he had called the two of them raucous all those months ago. Phichit and Yuuri together really were like two little evil gremlins.

 

“Ok, boys, you done? I’d like to get out of here sooner rather than later.” He tapped his foot, rather annoyed.

 

Yuuri lifted his head a moment later, obviously trying to compose himself. “Sorry, Vitya...but that was just…” He paused as another fit of giggles interrupted him. He cleared his throat, “I guess I should be used to it by now, but you have some EPIC cartoon references. Between Sylvester &  Tweety, Fantasia, and now Daffy Duck… I just…” He broke off, seeing the confused look on Viktor’s face. “You’ve never seen Daffy Duck?”

 

“No, I haven’t. You can tease me later all you want. Right now we need to get out of here.”

 

Accepting his chastising, Yuuri nodded and gave Phichit a punch on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get going.”

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Viktor started back the way they’d come. He had really strained his concentration and needed to finish this as soon as he could before he lost focus.

 

Once outside, Viktor stumbled in relief. Seeing his exhaustion, Yuuri dragged him to the McDonald’s next door. Once they were out of sight of the cameras, Viktor dropped his control and finally allowed himself to relax. “Wow, that was HARD.”

 

Phichit went to stand in line and Yuuri led Viktor to a table where he collapsed. “Carbs. You need carbs and coffee and you’ll feel better in a jiffy. And while you’re fueling up, Phichit and I will analyze what happened and make sure that it went to plan.”

 

Viktor nodded, too tired to talk.

 

Phichit returned moments later with coffees for all of them and a large box of fries for Viktor. “Eat them while they’re fresh!” He said cheerily.

 

Viktor nodded again, and took a couple fries. Once he had the first bite he found he was ravenous, but forced himself to eat slowly. As he ate he watched Yuuri and Phichit. They’d had a quick hushed conversation and now both of them were slowly sipping coffee and focused inward. Having finished his fries, Viktor leaned back, slowly sipping the hot coffee (which was actually decent, much to his amazement). Yuuri was right, the carbs and caffeine were helping.

 

After about fifteen minutes had passed, Yuuri looked up with a bright grin. Phichit did the same a moment later. “Well, I think we can definitely call that a success, Vitya!”

 

Phichit piped up, “Oh definitely! The moustache was definitely the right choice which is crazy! I woke the guy up and he was so angry, accusing the officers of abusing their powers. We didn’t even have to nudge anyone to review the security footage! They were already in an uproar trying to figure out how it happened.”

 

“And the good news is that there isn’t even a hint of our presence. So congrats, Vitya, mission accomplished.”

 

Viktor smiled, feeling proud. And justified. “SEE! You need to trust me more. I knew I needed to do something that would cause them to review the camera footage. And I wanted to have some fun with it, so sue me!”

 

He paused, frowning. “But I do have one question.”

 

“What’s that, Vitya?” Yuuri asked, gaze focused completely on him.

 

“Why did you have to make it so HARD? And so risky? I think that’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Even competing I was never that nervous.”

 

“Remember our conversation after Paint Creek Trail?” He paused and Viktor nodded. “Same thing. You need to be able to do this under pressure and when the stakes are high. Now’s the time to get that experience. And you’ve already shown how much control you have, so a simple challenge would not have created the right amount of pressure. We knew you could do it, you just needed to get over your nerves.”

 

Viktor raised his eyebrow. He knew Yuuri was right, but he was still a little annoyed. “So it’s tough love, huh?”

 

Yuuri smirked back at him, “Always, Vitya…”

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 13, 2015_

 

Celestino had called Yuuri in to pick up an assignment, so Viktor went with him before they both headed to the studio.

 

For the first time, he witnessed Yuuri reporting to Celestino. It was a little surreal, hearing Yuuri talk about him in a succinct, almost clinical way. Yuuri was recounting the events of the day before, and Celestino was taking rapid notes. Then Yuuri and Celestino got into a discussion and Viktor heard some numbers discussed and terms being thrown around like “level 5”, “security 8” and “multiple casting”. They finished their conversation, both looking satisfied with their conclusion.

 

Celestino turned to Viktor. “Based on yesterday’s results, I’m going to recommend to Yakov that we class you as advanced in the skill of manipulating electronics. Based on the number of cameras, the security level of the control room and the fact that you were able to perform a multiple cast, I think Yakov will agree.”

 

“Oh, um ok. That’s good. One thing though - what’s a multiple cast?”

 

“That’s when you use more than one skill at once, or use the same skill to control multiple things at once so they act independently,” Celestino replied. “As Yuuri explained it, you were able to control two sets of cameras independently, move an object and implant a suggestion into a subject’s mind, all at the same time.”

 

Viktor nodded, thinking back. Yes, he had managed to do that all at once.

 

Celestino continued, “That actually will probably increase your overall ranking as far as skills go, when Yakov evaluates you next. That’s a difficult thing to do for any reaper, never mind the first time you try. But of course, you have the best teacher.” Celestino nodded to Yuuri in acknowledgement. Yuuri looked pleased with himself.

 

“Ok, enough, Celestino. Believe me, you don’t need to inflate his ego more than it already is!”

 

“Yuuuurrrrriiii~!!! Why are you always so cruel?”

 

Yuuri just laughed, grabbing the envelope on Celestino’s desk and pulling Viktor out the door. “Later Ciao Ciao!”

 

“See you boys!” Celestino called as they disappeared down the hall.

 

~~~~~~

 

They got to the studio and headed to the office to put their stuff away. Yuuri handed him the paper. “No need to recite the facts. You’ve already proven your mastery over that.”

 

**Grant Henderson, 6:49 pm, February 14, 2015, Detroit, MI, USA**

 

“Oh, wow!” Viktor raised his eyebrows. Now _this_ was an interesting situation. Guy was 59. Was ridiculously rich. Family money through various businesses he still owned but didn’t run. Nine kids from various women, some of them ex-wives. He was currently dating a 20 year old and was planning on making her his next wife - and he was going to propose tomorrow!

 

He looked to Yuuri. “You have a plan I’m assuming? This one should be way more straightforward than the last.”

 

Yuuri smirked at him. “You haven’t told me your plans for tomorrow yet, but I know you’ve arranged something. Where will we be at the assigned time? I’ll make sure the assignment is… convenient. And I’m paying this time, Vitya. Your stipend is not going to cover whatever over the top plan you have.”

 

Viktor felt the blush staining his cheeks. Yuuri _never_ arranged reaps to accommodate his own plans. Realistically, it wasn’t going to be that much different than what the assignment already had planned, so he knew the soul would be fine, but there was going to have to be a great deal of re-arranging with reservations and some very strong suggestions to make it happen. He was thrilled that Yuuri was actually planning this reap around their plans. It was unheard of, and he took it for the compliment it was.

 

“Well, it was going to be a surprise, but… I got us in at Mario’s. Reservation is for 6:15.”

 

“Vitya!!! That sounds fantastic!!! And it’s a Saturday so…”

 

“Dancing! We can show off those tango skills you’ve been trying to teach me! But it’s ballroom so I know we’ll have fun no matter what music they go with.”

 

Yuuri was smiling brilliantly. “It sounds absolutely perfect. I can hardly wait.”

 

Looking at the time, Yuuri headed out to prepare for class, leaving Viktor to his spreadsheet. He was going to start his analysis today and was actually a little excited about it. He grimaced at his thoughts and sighed. How had it come to this? He never thought the day would come when he would actually look forward to doing the studio’s paperwork.

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 14, 2015, 5:00 pm_

 

Viktor was already downstairs waiting for Yuuri. He was wearing the suit that he’d had tailored while shopping with Chris in Geneva. And he knew it fitted him perfectly. There really was nothing like a perfectly fitted suit to boost one’s confidence. At the time he’d debated between a suit or tux, but now he was glad he’d gone for the suit. He didn’t imagine he’d have much purpose for a tux in Detroit. His suit was charcoal with subtle pinstripe, and he’d gone simple, pairing it with a crisp white shirt and deep blue, almost navy, silk tie.

 

“Vitya… have you seen my blue tie? I can’t find it anywhere!” Yuuri’s voice came faintly from upstairs.

 

Viktor smirked. He knew _exactly_ where Yuuri’s blue tie went. In the garbage, where it belonged. He hadn’t yet convinced Yuuri to go shopping, but he’d been surreptitiously relieving Yuuri of his most offensive pieces.

 

He took the stairs two at a time, entering their room to find a very frustrated Yuuri.

 

“Hhhmmmm… I don’t know, why don’t you just borrow one of mine for now? We don’t want to be late, after all.” With a frustrated sigh, Yuuri conceded and allowed himself to be led into Viktor’s ~~closet~~ old room.

 

Viktor pretended to survey his ties, already having plotted which one he would suggest. Since Yuuri only owned the one suit, it wasn’t difficult to figure out what he’d wear. “Oh, I know!” Viktor said brightly. “How about this one?” He held up a deep pinot noir coloured tie, holding it against the dark blue of Yuuri’s suit. “Yes, it will be perfect. Turn around and I’ll put it on for you.”

 

Yuuri grunted in assent, and turned around, holding his hair up and out of the way. He’d let Viktor dry it for him again, and it was beautifully silky tonight. Trying not to get distracted by either Yuuri’s hair or the oh-so-tempting exposed expanse of neck in front of him, Viktor concentrated on the business at hand and quickly and expertly tied the tie around Yuuri’s neck.

 

“There!” He smiled, facing Yuuri and smoothing the tie down. “All done. Shall we go?” He held his arm out for Yuuri to take.

 

Yuuri took the offered arm, “Yes, let’s. I’m really looking forward to tonight!” Yuuri tugged on his hair as he did when he was nervous. Huh, Viktor thought. Why would Yuuri be nervous about tonight? The assignment? He hadn’t seemed concerned about it earlier. Ah well, this was Yuuri. He’d tell him when he was ready.

 

_6:15 pm_

 

They arrived on time for their reservation, and were lead to a table that was close to the dance floor. Viktor couldn’t help himself, he was grinning from ear to ear, he was so excited. He’d never been on a date like this before, and if he was honest with himself, it was exactly what he hoped one day a special someone would do for him. While he was happy to spoil Yuuri, he wasn’t above indulging his own desires where the two aligned.

 

Having settled themselves Viktor reached across the table for Yuuri’s hand. Yuuri smiled at him and entwined their hands together.

 

“So, I know we have… business tonight, but may I order some wine?” Viktor asked, hoping Yuuri would let them indulge.

 

“Of course, Vitya, let’s just keep an eye on the time.”

 

Viktor perused the wine menu, somewhat disappointed, but finding something acceptable. He was behaving himself, knowing that Yuuri was picking up the tab for the night.  Having decided on the wine, he turned to the menu and suggested a couple appetizers. They decided on one, and when the waiter came around Viktor was ready with their order.

 

As they waited, both looked around, soaking in the atmosphere. The atmosphere was electric, with some couples dancing and others eating, watching the dancing with enthusiasm. It felt like something out of history, not something that you could find in the cold, modern world.

 

Viktor glanced over at Yuuri to see the man practically glowing with anticipation. “Do you want to go now, Yuuri? I’m yours for the night, whatever you want, I’m up for.”

 

“Umm, yeah, maybe one dance before we order?”

 

Viktor stood up, keeping his hand in Yuuri’s and pulling him to his feet. “Then let’s go,” he whispered softly.

 

They made their way to the dancefloor and found themselves in a foxtrot.

 

It was Ella Fitzgerald’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”  while several modern artists had done their own covers, there was nothing quite as beautiful as the original. Viktor was glowing. He didn’t think anything could be more perfect. His angel was in his element, completely engrossed in the music and letting his body feel free to follow the rhythm as it wished.

 

They finished their dance and reluctantly made it back to their table. Their waiter was hovering nearby with the wine, waiting for their approval before pouring. Viktor tasted it and approved. It wasn’t up to his usual standard, but it would do for the evening. He knew Yuuri wasn’t really a wine drinker anyway, but he would enjoy it well enough. They ordered their main dishes and shortly after the appetizer arrived.

 

_6:35 pm_

 

Yuuri reached in his pocket, presumably for the assignment and glanced around. He looked at Viktor and nodded toward a table two over. Viktor recognized the assignment instantly. After all, how many overweight old rich men did you see with barely legal blondes? He raised his eyebrows slightly after surveying the blonde.He doubted there was a single attribute remaining from the day she was born. He didn’t understand the attraction. Beyond gender that is. He looked at his Yuuri who was a natural beauty. Each small imperfection making him that much more perfect.

 

Despite the plastic nature of his intended bride, the assignment looked ecstatic, like it was the best night of his life. In contrast, his date looked bored and like she’d rather be anywhere else. Despite that, she responded to his enthusiasm when she had to, and in general was putting on a good show.

 

Viktor looked down at his watch. Nearly fifteen minutes left. He ignored the assignment and turned his attention back to Yuuri.

 

They’d finished the appetizer and were engaged in light conversation about what had been going on with the studio. Viktor was trying to explain what he’d found from his analysis of the spreadsheets. Yuuri started out looking sort of interested but his eyes quickly glazed over and Viktor switched topics quickly with an inward chuckle. Really, accounting was not the best topic for a Valentine's date.

 

He recounted his visit to the aquarium, since Yuuri had only heard about the squirrels. He seemed fascinated by Viktor’s description, moreso when he showed him the photos on his phone.

 

In the midst of their conversation, dinner arrived.

 

_6:45 pm_

 

Two minutes to go. Viktor looked questioningly at Yuuri, but Yuuri just smiled back at him, seemingly unperturbed by the time. Viktor gave a mental shrug. He knew Yuuri would take care of it, so he needn’t worry.

 

He took a bite of his steak and sighed in satisfaction. It was nice not to have to cook for once. And the atmosphere of the place was just what he had hoped.

 

Yuuri and Viktor dined in silence for a couple minutes, smiling at each other but not needing to exchange words. The night really had been perfect to this point, Viktor reflected. It really was amazing how easy it was to spend time with Yuuri. Unlike his previous life, there were no expectations, no obligations. He could just relax… and be himself for the first time since before he started in juniors.

 

A minor commotion startled him from his happy contemplation. He looked over to see the assignment had risen, wine glass extended, apparently about to make a speech of some kind.

 

‘About to’ would be the operative description. Viktor knew it would never happen.

 

Sure enough, the assignment drew a large breath, his face already ruddy from too much alcohol and indulgence. As he began to speak, he suddenly paused, looking nauseous, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Ah, Viktor thought, heart attack… perfect. The assignment’s lifestyle certainly made it a perfect choice.

 

The man clutched his chest, suddenly short of breath, but shook his head when the ‘woman’ across from him asked if he needed help.

 

He finally spoke. “Krystal, you are the… uh… love of … my life.  And so I want to… uh…” The man began breathing more rapidly and his eyes became focussed inward. His date stood up, concerned finally. “Grant, Grant, baby are you ok?!!!”

 

The man looked up at her and smiled, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he slid to the floor, unconscious, while neighbouring diners looked on with some concern.

 

With the professionalism to be expected in a professional setting, the wait staff of the restaurant dealt with the man and his not-to-be-bride swiftly and tactfully. Viktor looked at his watch.

 

 **6:49 pm**  
Assignment complete

 

The restaurant, the professionals they were, never hesitated in their jobs. The band kept on playing, finishing the song and beginning a new one. Out of the corner of his eye Viktor saw the soul appear briefly and fade away to Tir Bheannaithe.

 

They turned to each other, gazes never faltering. “So you were saying about the upcoming workshop?” Viktor asked, not pausing or acknowledging what had happened.

 

Yuuri smiled. “Yes, the pole workshop. It turns out that Celestino wants me to hold it at the theatre. Something about a production they’re thinking of doing and gauging the interest and talent of the students before they commit.”

 

“Well, that sounds like fun. You agreed, of course?”

 

Yuuri laughed, his laughter music to Viktor’s ears. “Of course. One doesn’t say no to one’s boss, after all.”

 

Viktor smiled back at him. “No, I suppose not. But of anyone, I think Celestino would respect it if you’d declined.”

 

“Yes, he probably would. But, I make it a habit not to disappoint.”

 

At that Viktor grinned wildly. “Oh really, Yuuri… I look forward to seeing that side of you.”

 

Yuuri just shook his head at Viktor and pushed his plate away, having finished his meal. “Dance?” He stood, extending his hand.

 

Viktor complied easily, ever putty in the hands of Yuuri. He recognized the song. It was Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose”. How perfect, he thought.

 

They danced for a few songs, finally returning to the table to quench their thirst. After a moment, Viktor excused himself to the restroom.

 

When he returned he could see Yuuri was fidgeting a little, with his gaze directed at the table. Although his hair was down, he still pulled at some strands like he would his ponytail. Viktor couldn’t help but wonder why Yuuri was nervous now. It had been a fantastic night and the reap was perfect. He didn’t think anything between them had been awkward. He started feeling nervous himself. He wondered if he had done something wrong somehow.

 

He sat down, his eyes still on Yuuri and a hesitant smile on his face. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight, Yuuri, and I hope you have too.” He put his hand on the table, a clear invitation for Yuuri to take it.

 

And to his relief, he did. Yuuri finally looked up at him with a real smile gracing his features and squeezed his hand.

 

“Thank you for this, Vitya. I know you spent a lot of time planning tonight, and I want you to know I really appreciate it. It’s been the perfect night. You know how much I love dancing, and I always love spending time with you.”

 

Viktor’s hesitant smile turned into a full fledged grin. Yuuri worked so hard at everything and it made him happy to know that he’d been able to give him a night that he could just enjoy… even if duty always called.

 

Yuuri’s face turned serious. “Vitya, I… um… have something I want to talk to you about.”

 

“You can tell me anything Yuuri, you know that.” Despite his words, Viktor was hella nervous. With the way Yuuri was acting the last few minutes he wasn’t sure where this was going.

 

Yuuri reached over with his other hand so he clasped Viktor’s right hand in both of his. “Vitya… I know how hard you’ve worked to get to where you are now. ...And...it can’t have been easy.”

 

Viktor was gazing at Yuuri who had his eyes lowered, focussed on their hands. He watched, slightly alarmed, as Yuuri inhaled deeply.

 

“I mean it’s only been four months… not even… and yet your skills are all at an intermediate or advanced level… and you came through ok after Geneva. I am _so_ proud of you Vitya. You’ve come so far and overcome so much.”

 

Then Yuuri looked up at him, eyes shining and bright.

 

“And I know you’re going to go much further. In no time at all you’ll be cleared to do your own assignments. And that time is coming much too fast. For me at least.” At the last statement Yuuri blushed a bit. “I confess I will miss how much you rely on me. But… you know I will always be with you. My soul will always seek yours out, and I will always be there for you. So…”

 

Yuuri paused again, and Viktor was silent, on the edge of his chair with anticipation.

 

“I want you to have something from me that will remind you of me and… also ground you when you need it. This job isn’t easy as you well know, so I’m hoping if you ever have trouble, or doubt, or any uncertainty that you will think of me and find extra strength from our bond.”

 

Yuuri paused, removing his hand and fishing in his pocket. He produced two gold rings - wedding bands actually - and Viktor sucked in a deep breath and held it in, waiting anxiously for what would come next.

 

“In Japan we call these omamori. They’re charms for good luck or protection… and I really want you to have that from me. Each has half a snowflake engraved on the inside. It reminds me of the ice, and I thought it suited us best.” Yuuri reached out to clasp his right hand again and deftly slipped the ring on his ring finger.

 

But before he could just slip the other ring on his own finger, Viktor grabbed the other ring. “Let me Yuuri, it seems only right.” Yuuri smiled back at him as he placed the ring on Yuuri’s finger, and at this point both their hands were shaking slightly.

 

The two smiled dopily at each other for a moment before Viktor remembered he should probably say something.

 

“Thank you Yuuri. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. When I was at my lowest, after Geneva, the one thing I remember from that time is your presence, and how your touch became an anchor for me when all I felt like was drifting away. So this is perfect. I know if ever I have a moment of doubt this will remind me of you, remind me of what matters most to my heart. I will wear it proudly and always.”

 

Yuuri flushed at Viktor’s words. “There’s no need to be overly dramatic Vitya, it’s just a ring.”

 

Viktor rubbed his thumb over the ring adorning Yuuri’s hand. “No, Yuuri, we both know it’s much more than that.”

 

Yuuri looked up at him and grabbed his hand, bringing it to his lips, and gently kissed the ring. “I believe you once said you’d take care of me until I retire. ...I’d... like that very much, Vitya.”

 

“Of course, moy temnyy angel. Anything…”

 

They ended the night swaying on the dance floor lost in each other’s eyes, and hearts full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from Jason Derulo, “Will You Marry Me”
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRCsZ5a3aCM  
> http://www.metrolyrics.com/will-you-marry-me-lyrics-jason-derulo.html
> 
> Spinning paperclip top:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzK59ZNapfU
> 
> Viktor’s moustache, Daffy Duck style:  http://dai.ly/x2pvqya
> 
> Valentine’s date restaurant: http://www.mariosdetroit.com/
> 
> No idea what kind of music they play, so imagined something classic.  
> Viktor and Yuuri’s foxtrot:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bfW7cUtgXA
> 
> Next up: Viktor throws Yuuri a birthday party, Viktor and Yuuri finally discuss “stuff”, Viktor finds himself on the top of a mountain and St. Patty’s Day fun.
> 
> Chapter 13 to be posted Friday, Sept 8th at around 2 pm mountain time.


	13. Just Put Your Heart in My Hands, I Promise it Won't Get Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor finds himself on the top of a mountain and throws Yuuri a birthday party, Viktor and Yuuri finally discuss “stuff”, and St. Patty’s Day fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Nathan Sykes, “Over and Over Again”
> 
> Trigger warning: hitting a tree, mention of gore (not described in any detail)
> 
> Thanks for the comments :)

~~~~~~

_February 24, 2015_

 

Yuuri’s ‘birthday’ was coming up and Viktor wanted to throw a party. The problem was going to be talking him into it. He’d made some subtle inquiries of the man, and it seemed that he ignored the occasion. But that just wouldn’t do.

 

(And if Viktor was honest with himself, he just wanted an excuse to throw another party.)

 

He decided to recruit Phichit to his cause. He figured they’d have something planned before Yuuri was able to catch wind of it and tried to talk them out of it. He looked at his watch - it was just after 10:00 am. Phichit had a number of breaks between classes that day, so he figured his best bet was getting him in his office. He didn’t want to risk Yuuri coming home while they were working out the details.

 

Happy with his plan, he headed over to the campus, texting Phichit to make sure he was free.

 

~~~~~~

 

“That’s a brilliant idea!” Phichit took a sip of the coffee Viktor had brought him. “Oh! And you should invite Chris again.”

 

“Well, it will be a little close to Worlds, so I don’t know if he can make it, but I’ll ask. It would be good to see him again. And for an ordinary reason.”

 

Phichit raised his brows. “Oh? Something going on?”

 

“No, nothing specific. I just… Well, I know that I’m going to have to let him go sooner or later, probably sooner, and it would be nice to spend some time with him and not have him stress out about stuff. It seems every time we talk _something_ comes up that makes him awkward or uncomfortable. I’ve been trying to keep our, uh, profession out of the conversation as much as possible. But still... we’ll have to make him forget, won’t we?”

 

Phichit smiled in sympathy. “I’m sorry Viktor. In some ways you are lucky that you’re able to share this with him for the time you can, but overall I think it’s harder on you.”

 

“You knew this would happen, I assume?”

 

Phichit nodded. “Yes, I suspected. There are good reasons for Rules 4 & 5\. But we need to give Chris space and time, let him distance himself more from what happened so removing and modifying his memories won’t cause as much damage. If you want to make this easier on him, you need to try and let that distance come naturally. Let yourselves grow apart.”

 

Sighing, Viktor replied, “I had come to that conclusion myself. I will miss him, but I also want what’s best for him. And I think that’s believing that Viktor Nikiforov is no longer in this world.” He smiled sadly. “But back to happier and more pressing matters… we need to iron out some details for the party.”

 

~~~~~~

 

_March 9, 2015_

 

Viktor was cleaning up after dinner, Yuuri having gone upstairs for a shower. Phichit was sitting at the counter, busy on his phone as usual. He put his phone down. “Hey Viktor, I know this is bad timing, but I want you to come with me on an assignment on the 11th.” He unfolded a paper from his pocket and handed it to Viktor.

 

Viktor took the paper from Phichit.

 

**Joshua Durn, 11:17 am, March 11, 2015,  47°23′30″N 88°0′49″W, USA**

 

He looked up at Phichit. “How does that even work? Where is that?”

 

“Research the assignment. You’ll see.” Phichit had a mischievous look on his face.

 

“Ok.” Viktor focussed. “OMG Phichit!!! That’s at like the top of a mountain. How on earth do we do _that_!!????!”

 

Phichit grinned at him. “That’s exactly why I want you to come on this one with me, even though it’s the day of the party and Chris will be here. You haven’t had to teleport yet, so you should know how to do that, and what it feels like. It’s a little… disconcerting might be the best way of putting it.”

 

“So how does it work? Do you just concentrate or something? That is _definitely_ something I’m not going to try on my own.”

 

Phichit laughed. “Well, you did great with the security cameras, but your track record isn’t great with the other skills, that’s true enough. But this one is actually pretty simple. You’d have a hard time screwing it up.” He pulled his pendant out. “How much has Yuuri told you about these?”

 

“Ummm…” Viktor frowned in concentration. “I don’t really remember. Just that having one meant I’d been called as a reaper. He might have said more, but I can’t recall. Honestly, I’ve gotten so used to the thing I don’t think I’ve even looked at it since the first week.” He pulled his out examining it. His pendant was simple; really just two swirls next to each other. It reminded him of the pattern a simple turn on the ice would make, or even two stylized skate blades. Yuuri’s was in some ways similar, but it looked more like a whirlpool. He’d always loved Yuuri’s. Phichit’s, he saw now, looked like a sun, complete with rays, and it suited him very well.

 

“Not a lot is known about them. I once heard, a very, _very_ long time ago, that the wood is from a tree that grows in Riochta Siorai. That’s just a rumour though, but it does make a lot of sense. As we’ve told you before, that seems to be where Yakov’s orders come from... the eternal kingdom… Anyway, back to what we do know, only Yakov can remove them. District bosses and unit bosses can use them to trace our location, and they can be used to teleport when necessary.”

 

Phichit paused, making sure that Viktor had followed him up to that point. Viktor nodded at him and he continued. “So what we will do in this case is just hold on to the paper, and the pendant, and create the link like I would if I was using a third person as an instrument. Then you’ll feel this weird twisting pull in your gut and we’ll end up where we need to be. The key when we go to teleport is to visualize how far you want to be. And of course we need to be prepared to be ‘invisible’ to anyone nearby. Though in this case I don’t imagine that will be much of a problem.”

 

“That seems pretty straightforward. What’s the catch? There’s always a catch.”

 

“The first few times you try it, it’s pretty disorienting. When you come out of it you’ll be dizzy and probably nauseous.” Phichit started laughing. “You should have seen Yuuri at the beginning! I hadn’t known it was possible for a person to puke so much!!! And OMG Viktor, right after he was called, Yakov teleported him to Celestino’s office and the first thing he did after Celestino greeted him is vomit all over his desk!!! It was the funniest thing EVER!!!”

 

“PHICHIT YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!!” Yuuri was just coming down the stairs and had apparently heard the last bit. “I swear Phichit, one of these days…!”

 

“You’ll what, Yuuri? Besides, I have a whole file of these little morsels that I plan on giving to Viktor.”

 

Yuuri put his head in his hands. “One of these days, I am going to have to get you so drunk that I get enough blackmail material on you to keep you quiet.”

 

“Now, now, Yuuri. Phichit just has my best interests in mind, after all.”

 

Yuuri looked him. “Huh?” he said oh-so-eloquently.

 

“Well, I need something to defend myself with since you’ve been compiling stories on me.”

 

“*Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Yuuri, I’m stealing Viktor on the 11th for a bit. I’ve got a teleport, so I thought I should drag him along.”

 

“Oh good! I was wondering what we should do to get him some experience in that.” Yuuri wrinkled his nose. “That was my least favourite part of learning, that’s for sure. But Vitya, you’ll find it’s just like spins. You get used to it after a while. Oh! Speaking of skating, what time is Chris coming tomorrow? I can’t believe he wanted to visit so close to Worlds.”

 

“We need to pick him up around 4:00, so just in time for dinner. Yeah, I’m surprised, but he said he needed to take a bit of a break to relieve some of the stress. He’s booked some rink time here with the other international skaters - you know, where those ice dancers train - and made some deal with their coach. I guess there’s was no difference really flying to Shanghai from here or Geneva so he said it worked out fine. Stay a week here, then fly out to Shanghai giving himself a couple days to adjust before the official practices start.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “I think the jet lag would kill me traveling that much in such a short time. Well, he’s a grown man, so I guess if he thinks he can do it… At any rate, I know you’ll enjoy seeing him again. So Vitya, have you cleaned your closet enough to make room for him?”

 

“YUUUURRRRIIII~~~!!! Don’t be so mean!!!”

 

~~~~~~

 

_March 11, 2015, 10:45 am_

 

Yuuri still had no inkling about the party, and Viktor was excited. The man was virtually impossible to keep a secret from. And Viktor wasn’t really good at keeping secrets like that one anyway. Earlier that morning Yuuri had left to drop Chris off at the rink so he could meet the coaches Yuuri obviously couldn’t go in with him, so Viktor had given him a shopping list to occupy his time.

 

Viktor was happy with how the timing was working out - Chris would be occupied while he and Phichit took care of the assignment. He was trying to expose Chris to as little of their world as possible this time.

 

Phichit was explaining the plan to Viktor. They would get there about 15 minutes ahead of schedule, look for a suitable spot and wait. The location, as Viktor had discovered, was on property owned by Mt. Bohemia, a ski resort that catered to expert skiers. They had a service that would transport a skier to a section of Voodoo Mountain via snowcat, and the assignment was really looking forward to the experience. Phichit would complete the assignment by having the man ski into a tree. Given what he knew about the location, it should be really straightforward.

 

At 11:01 they stood side by side, completely bundled up for the cold. Phichit brought out the paper, and they both placed their hands on it. "Ok, Viktor, I think about 30 feet should do it.”

 

“Um… how far is that in metric?”

 

Phichit laughed. “Ok, let’s do 10 metres then. We both know that measurement.” Viktor nodded. “Ok, I’ll need to do the linking since it’s my assignment - but watch carefully. The last thing - you need to hold your pendant, and to make it work we need a verbal command. In this case we will use the word ‘dul’ which means ‘go’ in the sacred language. You don’t need to think of the ‘where’ because it will be entwined with the assignment. But, you do have to focus on the distance.”

 

“Ok, ready?” Viktor nodded. “Watch me and when I nod say ‘dul’ at the same time I do. Then close your eyes. It will help with the dizziness.”

 

Viktor took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

 

Phichit quickly wrapped his mind around the assignment and both their pendants. He nodded at Viktor and in unison both called “Dul!”

 

With a _lurch_ Viktor felt himself being pulled somewhere. It was the weirdest feeling, and totally and utterly unnatural. This was nothing the human body could possibly withstand, he understood immediately. If he’d had living cells they would have been ripped to shreds with the force of the transition. As it was, his body, which was really his soul, felt stretched impossibly thin as it tried to exist in two places at once. The feeling was _awful_. It felt like it tore at his very existence. Like he had to _fight_ for his soul even though he knew that wasn’t the case. ‘Like a spin’ Yuuri had said. _Bullshit_. At least you stayed in one place for a spin.

 

All of a sudden, everything snapped back together and Viktor found himself surrounded by snow, a bitter wind coursing through him. He immediate bent in half and started vomiting.

 

Phichit looked over. “Yeah, that’s why I decided on the distance. I figured you would need to empty your stomach. Hmm… maybe I should have told you not to eat breakfast.”

 

Viktor tried to look over to glare at Phichit but instead found himself wracked with another bout of vomiting.

 

After a few minutes he started to feel better and he looked over to find Phichit concentrating on the assignment, paper firmly in his hand. He cleared his throat and Phichit looked over. “Feeling better? We need to get a move on. There’s only about ten minutes and we need to get into position. I’ve found a strand of trees, so let’s work our way over, and I’ll ensure that the assignment makes his way there. He’s almost at the top of the run now.”

 

They trudged through the snow for a few minutes before coming to a stand of trees that was isolated from the rest, with what looked like a perfect untouched ski run to either side.

 

“This is perfect,” Phichit said. “Ok, watch carefully, the assignment is just about to disembark. I just need to nudge him to make sure he comes this way.”

 

Viktor watched carefully as Phichit sent little suggestions to the assignment, little hints of ‘no, turn right here’ and ‘oh the way to the left looks better’ until the man was just feet in front of them. Phichit motioned Viktor back, concentrating more fully now. As he watched, the man hit a large snow covered rock that would have been invisible from uphill. Flailing wildly, he couldn’t get back in control, and he fell, hitting the snow in front of the trees hard, and then bounced and rolled until he hit the trunk of a tree with a solid thwack.

 

 **11:19 am**  
Assignment complete.

 

As the soul faded away, Viktor started emptying his stomach again. The assignment had not been wearing a helmet, and with the force of his fall it was… messy.

 

Phichit grabbed him by the arm and led him away from the scene. “Come on, little ice puppy. We’re done here. But you have to stop throwing up long enough to get back.”

 

After a moment, Viktor collected himself enough to focus and they were able to head back. When they got back Viktor headed off to his room without looking back, vaguely registering Phichit’s quiet chuckling in the background.

 

About an hour later, Yuuri came in quietly and lay down beside him. “How are you feeling? The first time is pretty rough, I know.”

 

Viktor sighed but didn’t move from his position facing the window. “The room stopped spinning a while ago, but I can’t make myself get up, and I’m still scared I’ll throw up if I move. That was awful. How many times does it take until you get used it it?”

 

Yuuri hummed. “Everyone is different. I think I took a bit longer than most. It gets a lot easier after the third time though. I think the second time is the worst because of the anticipation, since you know what’s coming.”

 

“Ugh. And how often do we have to do this?”

 

“Where we are based not that often. But there’s also emergencies… like Geneva. Luckily that’s a very rare occurrence. But it does happen. I’m going to talk to Celestino though and arrange some practice for you so you can get over it. The last thing you need is to be feeling like this if there is an emergency That’s what Phichit did for me and I’m really glad he did.”

 

Viktor groaned. “Ummm… thanks… I think? I really don’t want to do that again.”

 

Yuuri kissed the back of his head and rolled off the bed. “Oh believe me, I understand. I’m going to go keep Chris company. Join us when you’re ready. I’ll just tell him you have a stomach ache. No need to worry him.”

 

“Thanks Yuuri.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Viktor forced himself to get up and join the others about half an hour later. After all, he still had the party to prepare for. Phichit was going to drag Yuuri to the theatre on the pretense of needing some advice on tweaking the choreography for an upcoming show. Phichit would keep him out until 6:00 which would leave he and Chris about four hours to get everything together.

 

He entered the main living space and found Chris lounging by himself watching TV. “Hey Chris, sorry about that. My stomach is giving me trouble. Yuuri and Phichit leave already?”

 

Chris looked back at him. “No worries. And yes, they left about five minutes ago. But hey, are you going to be ok for tonight?”

 

“Oh yes, it’s starting to pass. I just ate something that didn’t agree with me.” Viktor sat on a chair near Chris and looked down at the to-do list he’d brought with him. “I guess we should start right away. Or rather, I should start cooking pretty quick. Most of the decorating supplies, the drinks and snacks are in Phichit’s room, so those are easy to get. Yurio’s going to bring the ice, so we don’t have to worry about that.” Not getting any response from Chris, he looked up to find Chris staring in wide eyed horror at him.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Uhhh… ummm… Viktor… you have a little something on your uh cheek.”

 

“Oh? Where?” Viktor rubbed his face and looked at the back of his hand.

 

Oh.

 

Oh no.

 

Well, this morning’s assignment had been messy.

 

“Oh, uh it’s just some dried jam… from breakfast. I uh wasn’t feeling good, so wasn’t really paying attention. Ha ha ha. You know me.” Shit.

 

“That’s not jam, Viktor.”

 

Shit. Well, he was allowed to use memory modification for Rules 4 & 5\. And this was minor. Should he? He really should ask Yuuri first. He didn’t want to get in trouble - or worse, screw up. But Chris looked positively terrified. Yes, yes he should do it, and quickly. He sighed.

 

“Of course it’s jam. It wouldn’t be anything else,” he said, focusing a tiny bit of energy at Chris and carefully planting a suggestion and eliminating the suspicion he’d had.

 

Chris laughed. “Viktor, despite everyone thinking you’re so elegant and classy, you really are quite a pig sometimes, you know? Honestly, walking around with jam on your face all day! Who does that?”

 

Viktor sighed in relief and joined Chris’s laughter. Crisis averted. “Yeah, I know. I’ll just go wash this off. Be right back!”

 

He entered the main floor bathroom, washed his face carefully and pulled out his phone.

 

**XOXO ANGEL XOXO**

Hey

Hey yourself  
What’s up?

I had to do a suggestion/memory modification  
On Chris  
I know I should have asked first  
But it was important  
So letting you know now

What happened?  
Is Chris ok?  
Not that I’m worried  
You know what you’re doing now

Yes he’s ok  
It went smoothly  
And crisis averted

So what was the issue?

I had some *stuff*  
On my face  
From this morning’s assignment

OH  
He must have freaked  
Sorry I didn’t see it earlier

Yeah  
He didn’t take it well

I’m sorry  
I know it’s hard

It is what it is  
Gotta get back to him  
TTYL

( ˘ ³˘)♥

~~~~~~

_5:45 pm_

 

All their friends were there - Yurio, Otabek, Mila, Sara, Leo and Guang Hong. Thanks to Chris, the townhouse was decorated and Viktor had finished the food in plenty of time. He was particularly excited about the katsudon pirozhki he’d made. He’d wanted to do all finger foods, and he was proud of how he’d managed to incorporate Yuuri’s favourite into the menu.

 

He’d left most of the lights off, just the light over the stove and the light from the TV. He often sat like that, fortunately, so Yuuri wouldn’t suspect anything right away.

 

Finally, at just after 6:00 he heard the key in the lock, and Yuuri entered, still chatting cheerily with Phichit. He turned around, “Vitya! I know you like sitting in the dark but you shouldn’t force your weird habits on Chr…” The words died in his throat as he finally realized that the room was occupied by more than just him and Chris.

 

“Vitya,” he rumbled, “what’s going on?”

 

Taking that as their cue, everyone shouted “Happy Birthday” while Yuuri stood there looking a jumbled mess of annoyed, pleased and embarrassed, in that order. Phichit stepped behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Oh, come on Yuuri! You never let us celebrate your birthday. Time to unwind a bit!”

 

Viktor went to Yuuri, turning on the lights as he approached. He grabbed his hand, dragging him further inside. Come now, moy temnyy angel, don’t let all my hard work go to waste!”

 

Yuuri finally smiled, shaking his head. “Can’t have that, can we, Vitya?”

 

Once Yuuri joined the party, everyone settled in to enjoy the food. Viktor was happy to see the katsudon pirozhki was a big hit. Yuuri’s eyes had widened in appreciation and he proclaimed it the best pirozhki yet, and even Yurio had been satisfied, eating far too many than his thin frame should have been able to handle.

 

As Viktor took in the group, he sighed with happiness. This, he knew, was where he belonged. He wrapped his arm around Yuuri’s waist and drew him in closer. Yuuri responded instinctively, moving closer to Viktor and leaning against him while continuing his conversation with Phichit and Yurio without pause.

 

Viktor looked up and realized that Chris was watching him … and Yuuri as well if he was reading his expression right. A little uncertain as to the reason for the scrutiny, Viktor grabbed his wine glass with his right hand and swirled it around absently, just trying to occupy himself with something.

 

Suddenly Chris piped up, “So Viktor, I’ve been here over 24 hours now… when are you two going to explain the rings?”

 

Chris had gotten everyone’s attention and they were all staring at him and Yuuri. Viktor did his best impression of a goldfish, his mouth just opening and closing. But before he could formulate a response, Phichit piped up. “Oh! Didn’t I tell you? My best friend is _MARRIED_ ~~~!”

 

“PHICHIT!” Yuuri yelped. “We are _NOT_ married.” Phichit just laughed in response.

 

Viktor saw his opportunity and decided to take it. He smiled silkily, “Oh, don’t be mistaken Chris, these are engagement rings. We’ll get married after you’ve won your fifth gold medal at World’s. Right, Yuuri~?” He was determined to make Yuuri commit to what they’d tentatively agreed on when Yuuri confirmed he wanted Viktor to ‘take care of him until he retires’. It had been nearly a month and they still hadn’t talked properly about it.

 

Yuuri was sputtering. “*VITYA!!!”

 

“Hmmmm??? What’s the matter Yuuri, you don’t think that Chris can do it?” he asked cheekily, avoiding the issue about whether or not they were engagement rings entirely. “Or did you want to get married sooner?”

 

Yuuri shot him a look that _screamed_   ‘we’ll talk later’. “Of course Chris can do it. He’s the best men’s single skater out there, and by a large margin too.”

 

Chris was smirking, completely understanding the unspoken exchange that had just taken place between Yuuri and Viktor. “Well, I appreciate your confidence mon ami, and now I just _have_ to win the next five years so we have some nuptials to look forward to, oui?”

 

Out of the corner of his eye Viktor could see Phichit covering his mouth trying desperately to hide his obvious mirth. The rest of their friends were chiming in, creating a raucous chorus of questions, mixed with congratulations. Obviously Mila and Yurio were more hesitant, knowing what this meant, though they seemed somewhat mollified by Phichit’s acceptance. The humans though, were full of enthusiastic congratulations.

 

“Ok, ENOUGH, guys. There’s a big cake waiting on the counter, so let’s make sure it doesn’t go to waste.”

 

The evening was everything he had hoped it to be. Yuuri got over his embarrassment quickly enough once Yurio turned on the gaming system. He spent most of his evening hanging out with Chris, Mila and Sara at the dining room table. Sara, having been invited to most of the viewing parties that Phichit and Yuuri hosted, was fascinated by Chris and wanted to hear everything about the skating world. He exchanged several amused glances with Mila since Sara had no idea that Viktor and Yuuri had also once been intimately involved in that world. While Sara hung off of Chris’s every word, Mila decided to take the opportunity to grill him about Yuuri.

 

With raised eyebrows she turned to him. “So, _engaged_ , huh? I’m not going to lie, I’m completely floored. But I guess my suspicions are confirmed, huh?”

 

“If you’re talking about the Law of Magnetism, then yes,” Viktor replied in a hushed tone that Sara wouldn’t overhear.

 

“Still… being engaged… are you two sure? Yuuri did seem a little surprised at your announcement.”

 

Viktor smirked. “Well, he didn’t deny it, did he? You don’t need to worry, Mila, we are taking things slowly. I know there’s some… risk for uh… people like us, so I’m not in a hurry, and I certainly don’t want to push Yuuri. But you know how Yuuri is, he tends to sidestep these sorts of conversations whenever he can. So I took advantage of the situation to force him to talk about it.” Viktor sighed. “Based on the look I got, it may have worked _too_ well.”

 

Mila laughed. “Ohhhh, is our little puppy going to get a stern talking to for misbehaving?”

 

“You know, it’s uncanny how much alike Yuuri and Yakov can be sometimes.” Viktor shuddered.  

 

“Back to Yuuri though… be careful with him. I’d mentioned before that he doesn’t date, but honestly I don’t think he had much, if any, experience before… he uh moved here if you know what I mean.”

 

Viktor considered that carefully. “That’s not surprising actually. He was only 18 when he moved here. And with his dedication to his… uh dancing it would have been difficult to meet people. Thanks Mila, I will keep it in mind.”

 

The party continued, not wild like some of their parties had been since it was a Wednesday night, but it was certainly lively. Everyone left early, having to get up the next day, and by 10:30 it was just Phichit, Viktor and Yuuri. Chris had gone to bed a while ago, still suffering from jetlag. After closing the door behind the last guest, Viktor moved to start cleaning up, but Phichit waved him off.

 

“Viktor, you worked hard enough, and it’s Yuuri’s birthday. Let me do the clean up. Besides… after tonight’s exciting announcement I think you two need some time alone?” Phichit teased, grinning wildly.

 

“PHICHIT!”

 

“Oh Yuuri, you know you have my full support. In my opinion you’ve taken too long to get to this point anyway. You two are obviously made for each other. I mean, I’ve been assuming you were engaged for a month now from the way you two are.”

 

At that Yuuri grumbled, “Don’t get too excited, Phichit. Nothing is quite decided yet despite Viktor’s surprise announcement, which I might add was just as much a surprise to me as to the rest of you!”

 

Still grumbling under his breath (in Japanese, Viktor thought), Yuuri grabbed Viktor and dragged him towards the stairs. “Come on, you and I need to have a little _chat_.”

 

Viktor gulped. He used ‘Viktor’. That was never a good sign. Here it comes, he thought. The mini Yakov lecture. But that was ok. This talk was overdue, and Viktor didn’t regret his spontaneous actions one bit.

 

When they got upstairs Viktor suddenly remembered that he’d forgotten to give Yuuri his ‘birthday’ presents. “Oh Yuuri! Before we talk, I wanted to give you your presents!”

 

“Presents? For what?”

 

“Your birthday, silly. It’s not a proper birthday without presents! Here, sit in the chair.” Viktor pressed Yuuri down into the chair by the window. “I stuffed everything under the bed earlier.” Viktor bent down, pulling out several packages. “Chris brought it with him from my personal stash. It’s all limited edition too!”

 

Yuuri was looking at him curiously - especially at a large bundle that must have been four feet long. “What on earth???!!!”

 

“Open it! Open it!!!” Viktor was practically vibrating from excitement.

 

Yuuri ripped the paper off. “A… pillow?”

 

Viktor smirked. “It’s not just *any pillow Yuuri darling! Turn it around. It’s a limited edition Viktor Nikiforov dakimakura!!!! The one with the image I did for that cologne ad - you know the one where I -”

 

“Yes, I know the one!” Yuuri interrupted with a shriek. He looked at Viktor in disbelief then hid his face in the pillow and groaned. “This is Phichit’s fault isn’t it? What did Phichit tell you???”

 

“Oh not much, just something about some posters. So I thought maybe you were a fan of mine,” Viktor teased, pleased with himself.

 

Yuuri grumbled into the pillow, then raised his head (but, Viktor noted, pleased, he still hung on to the pillow). “Well come on, what younger skater wasn’t a fan of yours??!! I mean you were the Living Legend - we all looked up to you!”

 

Viktor didn’t comment on Yuuri’s weak attempt at defending himself. Instead he handed him a long package. “Here you go! Some more posters, and these ones signed personally by Mr. Nikiforov himself for the one and only Katsuki Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “Do I even want to know?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry moy temnyy angel, I kept the inscription acceptable for public consumption.” He winked at Yuuri, his famous heartbreaking wink. It seemed to work on Yuuri too, as he watched the man melt a little into the chair. “So do you want to put the posters up now?”

 

Yuuri narrowed his eyes. “Oh don’t think you can get out of our *chat so easily Vitya. I’m not that easily distracted.” He softened his voice a little. “But, thank you. Yes, I was a fan, and yes, I would have killed for merch like this when I was alive. He put the posters to the side, and crumpled the wrapping paper, throwing it handily into the garbage bin across the room.

 

Ha! Viktor was feeling smug. He was still cuddling the pillow.

 

Yuuri turned and looked out the window for a few moments before inhaling deeply and turning to Viktor. “So you _are_ serious about getting married… that’s the… kind of relationship you want us to have?”

 

“I thought I’d made that pretty clear,” Viktor answered softly.

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely. I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure about anything before.”

 

“Ok… uh... ok…” Yuuri chewed on his bottom lip, looking pensive for some reason Viktor couldn’t fathom. “Well, then… there are some things we should talk about, things you should know. You might change your mind after hearing them.”

 

“I think I already have an idea what most of them are, and changing my mind isn’t going to happen. But yes, a good discussion would be good for us both I think.”

 

Yuuri sighed. “I need alcohol for this conversation. Liquid courage and all that. Wait here, I’ll go grab some wine. I don’t think any of the bottles were even opened.” He got up to leave, setting the pillow in the chair. Viktor looked at the pillow smugly. He _knew_ Yuuri would love it.

 

Yuuri returned with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He closed the door and returned to his chair, handing Viktor a glass on the way. He deftly opened the bottle and poured them each a glass.

 

“I figured if we’re doing this, let’s do it right.” He held up his glass to Viktor. “To all the days here and after, may they be filled with fond memories, happiness, and laughter.”

 

Viktor raised his glass to meet Yuuri’s with a soft clink. “I love you Yuuri.”

 

“And I love you too Vitya. I always have and always will.” Yuuri was smiling at him, eyes shining brightly with emotion. Viktor basked in the moment, a tiny part of him thinking he was damn lucky it seemed Yuuri had forgotten the lecture.

 

After taking a couple sips, Yuuri put his glass down and turned serious.

 

“As I said, there are a few things that you need to know. And I owe you a couple explanations too. You might not like everything you hear, Vitya. I know that, and I’m ok with that.” Yuuri frowned. “I told you it’s ok if you change your mind. I never want to hurt you or in any way be the cause of your hurt, and if that means being apart, then I can accept that.”

 

“Yuuri, Yuuri, you are worried for nothing, I can assure you. I can’t imagine anything that would make me want to be apart from you.”

 

Yuuri snorted. “Vitya… ugh, I don’t even have the right to call you by that name… I _killed_ you. I, personally, was responsible for your death. Me. Yuuri Katsuki. Shit skater wannabe.  I stole you from your world when you were at the top.” Yuuri’s voice started to rise. “And worse than that, you couldn’t even go peacefully. NO. It’s MY FAULT that you got pulled into this weird afterlife, fuck you even _died_ because of _me_. If you’d been able to get to Tir Bheannaithe I could have justified it. But, _NO_ , you had to end up here in the afterlife where you expose your very soul to so much pain, so much risk. Because of some force you have no control over that pulls you to where I am. It’s not fair to you.”

 

Viktor stared at Yuuri, wanting nothing more than to wrap the man in his arms. How did he deal with keeping this much hurt inside? What he was accusing himself of didn’t bother Viktor at all. He knew how much Yuuri had done for him, how he had kept him safe.

 

“But, Yuuri!”

 

“No, let me finish. As you know, we don’t have human bodies right now. We’re not in typical soul form; instead our souls have manifested physically. And while they aren’t as fragile as the human body, at the same time they can be damaged. And if that happens, our soul is damaged as well. And if they take enough damage then… well let’s just say it’s Geneva for a reaper. Our souls will tear themselves apart.”

 

“I know, Yuuri.”

 

“What do you mean you know?”

 

“I had a long talk with Isabella and she explained how vulnerable we are in this state. It’s ironic; our bodies are near indestructible but form any emotional attachment and we can be destroyed… for an eternity.”

 

Yuuri just stared at him, his expression unreadable.

 

“Yuuri, I’m not worried about that with you. For a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I know how seriously you take being soulmates. But Yuuri, beyond that, you are the kind of person who cares for everyone before yourself. You always put the soul’s needs ahead of your own. Why, when you do that, do I need to worry?”

 

“We need to talk about Geneva.”

 

“Ok then, let’s talk about Geneva. I know there’s more, and I want to know. But I can assure you, Yuuri, none of it is going to change how I feel. About you and about us.”

 

Yuuri shook his head slowly, disbelieving. “I know you don’t remember much about Geneva. Probably less than I initially thought after seeing your reaction to Yakov’s words. But what he said is true - we almost lost you. You were so new to this existence, so vulnerable. The change is really hard on your mental state to begin with. I know Mila told you about specialists. They’re basically reapers who lost their minds when they’re first called. It’s such a hard transition, and not everyone makes it through the first bit.”

 

“So for you to be still adjusting to that and then see what you did…” Yuuri broke off, biting his lip, “well, it was almost too much for you to handle. The second time you sank, it was your soul fighting reality… you sank so far I was so afraid that you would rip yourself apart from the pain.”

 

“But I stayed with you, always. I wrapped your mind with mine, and tried to give you comfort and reassurance. You were down to your primal instincts - your mind couldn’t use or recognize any rational thought at all. Not even basic language. The only things you could recognize were the basest of emotions. So I tried to use that, to match your mind with primal instincts of my own. To protect you and reassure you.”

 

“You made it out, and sometimes I think that’s because of your sheer stubbornness. But it shouldn’t have happened at all. I’m totally to blame, in so many ways. First because you wouldn't even be a reaper because of me. But because I’m the one that brought us there. I’m the one that exposed you to that danger. I should have known better, I should never have let you experience something  I wasn’t in complete control over. And I can’t forgive myself for that. I put you at risk, and it’s my fault that you got hurt.”

 

“I can’t ask your forgiveness. It’s too heinous an act to forgive. And now that you know the whole truth, you should walk away. I don’t deserve you; I never did.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes were focussed on his knees, but Viktor’s eyes were blazing. How on earth could Yuuri think so little of himself? How could he for an instant think that Viktor would leave him? Yuuri had just told him he’d been about to tear himself apart, but despite that and the risk that Yuuri could damage his own soul, he jumped right in with Viktor and did everything he could to save him. It was equivalent to the act of jumping on a grenade. But he knew from Phichit that Yuuri used to suffer from anxiety, and he didn’t want to trigger him now. He had to be careful.

 

So slowly, carefully, tenderly, he reached over with both hands and cradled Yuuri’s face, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Yuuri, Yuuri,” he said softly, encouragingly, “it’s ok, my Yuuri. You can’t blame Jana’s actions on yourself. That was completely unexpected, and had absolutely nothing to do with you. You _should_ have been able to rely on her. It’s not like we go around thinking every reaper is going to fail every assignment every time. And I think you’ve missed the whole point of your story - but I can assure you that I didn’t.”

 

“ _YOU_ saved me, Yuuri. You carried me through it, you protected my soul. Just like you were so careful with me when I died. You treated my soul like an irreplaceable treasure; like it was the most important thing in the world. How you can think that I wouldn’t want to be with you after such a selfless act is beyond me. In fact, it’s the opposite. Hearing how much you’ve done for me, how you’ve cared for me just makes me want to make sure I can be there to do the same for you. Forever, Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri looked back at him with questioning eyes, taking in everything he said and considering it carefully. Finally he sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know how you can be so calm or so understanding, Vitya.”

 

Viktor smiled, finally hearing Yuuri use his diminutive. “Because I’m where I belong, with the one I love most.”

 

At that declaration, Yuuri’s eyes started to water. “I don’t deserve you. I couldn’t ever do anything to possibly deserve you.”

 

Viktor reached across and grabbed Yuuri’s hand. “The only thing you need to do is to be yourself… Yuuri, my love, stop doubting yourself. If you don’t believe me, believe the universe. You know that it works its will purposely, I know you do. You trust it for all other things; trust it now. We’re meant to here, together. Don’t fight it, embrace it.”

 

Yuuri looked up at him, tear tracks appearing on his cheeks. “I don’t know how you can still say that after everything I’ve told you.”

 

Viktor smiled at him. “Because I believe in the truth of those words. Because I believe in you and I believe in us. And most of all because my soul tells me that *this is right; I’ve never been happier than I am right now. All of this, the risk and all, is worth it to be with you, Yuuri.”

 

At that something seem to change for Yuuri. He looked up, eyes bright and hopeful. “Vitya, there is nothing more that I would like than to be with you, always and forever.”

 

And Viktor knew at that instant that the final wall that was between them had come down. Yuuri had given himself to him, wholly, completely and utterly. Yuuri had just given him power over his very soul; the power to hurt him irreparably. The weight of that responsibility came down on him hard and he took a deep breath. And he remembered that he had given Yuuri the same power from the beginning. They would be fine. They may argue, they may suffer little hurts, but their connection would not allow them to cause each other lasting damage. Viktor knew that at this moment he needed to place his faith in the will of the universe and _know_ that they would be ok.

 

Unable to take their eyes off each other, they moved closer, Yuuri moving to the bed beside Viktor, and Viktor opening his arms and taking Yuuri in. Their lips met in a chaste kiss with a sweet warmth and the need of two loved ones long separated.

 

And finally, _finally_ , Viktor was able to hold him in his arms the way he’d been wanting to for months.

 

~~~~~~ 

 

_March 15, 2015_

 

Phichit and Yuuri had decided that Viktor and Chris needed to experience an American St. Patty’s day. They were currently navigating their way on public transit to Corktown, where there was supposed to be a big St. Patty’s Day parade, and then the plan was to go bar hopping. Viktor was both fascinated and repulsed by the idea of green beer.

 

Viktor had packed lunch for them to eat while they waited for the parade to start, as well as a bunch of snacks leftover from Yuuri’s party. For some reason, no one had touched the sugar free gummy bears he’d bought. He thought it was weird for a bunch of people who tried to limit carbs and sugar - surely they’d be a hit?

 

As they ate their lunch Viktor ruminated over the last few days. His dynamic with Yuuri had definitely changed, there was no doubt about that. And now he knew for certain that the other man had been holding back, afraid to ask for the kind of relationship he’d really wanted. Their friends had teased them mercilessly about it, Chris especially since apparently they hadn’t been too quiet with certain activities. But they also made it clear that they had their friends’ support, for which Viktor was exceedingly thankful. Especially Phichit’s, since as both a reaper and Yuuri’s best friend, he truly understood the ramifications of their decision.

 

The other change that had come about as a result of their talk was that now Yuuri walked around like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he supposed it had been. Viktor really wished Yuuri had come to him earlier, so he could have offered him reassurance. Although the news about what really happened after Geneva was a little disturbing, he’d been prepared for something like that after Yakov’s comments. And thinking back to what little he remembered from that time, he wasn’t all that surprised.

 

He smiled to himself ruefully. Yuuri had been so worried that Viktor would reject him after that, but in reality, it was the opposite. Yuuri had worked so hard to make sure he had pulled through. He’d wrapped himself around Viktor’s soul and tended it with care and devotion. How could he possibly turn his back on Yuuri after everything he had done? Phichit had told him in various ways over the past months how Yuuri never saw the value in himself, and he knew it to be true. And there was nothing that Viktor wanted more than to show Yuuri, time after time, how wonderful, incredible and amazing he was. Even if it took eternity.

 

They watched the parade with enthusiasm. Viktor thought the real entertainment was the enthusiastic crowd. He hadn’t imagined that such a holiday would make for such a boisterous event. He and Chris threw themselves into it wholeheartedly, following Phichit’s particularly enthusiastic example.

 

After the parade they visited a few local bars, sampling some of the beers and enjoying the atmosphere. Viktor found himself addicted to the gummy bears be had brought. One of his rink mates had once made vodka soaked gummy bears and he wondered idly if he should do that for their next party.

 

They found themselves back at the townhouse in the early evening and ordered pizza since it was too late to think about cooking. Viktor found himself in the kitchen with Yuuri, while Chris and Phichit engaged in tipsy conversation in the living room. He unpacked everything he brought, leaving the snacks on the counter to put his bag away. When he returned, he found Yuuri staring at the half eaten bag of gummy bears, lip twitching.

 

“Hey Viktor, did you eat some of these?”

 

Viktor blushed. He may have made a bit of a pig of himself, but they were sugar free, so it was ok, right? “Um, yeah, I found them really addictive actually.”

 

Yuuri snorted. “You don’t mean to tell me you ate _ALL_  of these yourself?”

 

“Ummm… maybe… yes.”

 

Yuuri started laughing loudly. “OMG Phichit,” he called, “you’ll never believe what Vitya ate!”

 

“OMG NO! Please tell me he didn’t eat the gummy bears? I meant to throw them out but I totally forgot!!”

 

“Oh yeah… and at least half the bag by the look of it!”

 

Viktor was starting to get concerned. “What’s wrong with the gummy bears?”

 

“Um, well, these aren’t the kind you would find in Europe. They, uh, even have a warning on them.”

 

“WHAT!!! A warning?” Viktor rushed over and grabbed the bag. Yuuri pointed to the safety warning.

 

> Safety Warning: Consumption of some sugar-free candies may cause stomach discomfort and/or a laxative effect. Individual tolerance will vary. If this is the first time you’ve tried these candies, we recommend beginning with one-fourth of a serving size or less.

 

Viktor looked up in horror. What had he done? And who sold food that required a _safety warning_???!!!! “Um, Yuuri… am I going to be ok?”

 

Phichit called out from the couch, “Don’t worry, Viktor, you’re not going to _die_ or anything! But you might want to wish you could by the end of it.” Phichit broke off, snickering at his own horrible joke.

 

“Yuuuurrri~~~! What does he mean??? What’s going to happen to me? Why did no one warn me?????”

 

Yuuri was still laughing. “Well, let’s just say that you’ll get a good… cleanse… you know like the type people have before a colonoscopy but a lot more painful from what I’ve heard. So… I’ll be sleeping on the couch until it’s over. You’ll need the bathroom and no way are you using a shared bathroom. And I’ll dig out a couple floor standing fans. We’ll need to lock you in there and then fumigate when it’s over.”

 

“YUUURRRRIII~~~~~!!!! NO!!!!”

 

“VITYA, YES!!!!!! I love you dearly, but I’m not subjecting myself to that nastiness. You can text me if you need something.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Several hours later Viktor was living the truth of Phichit’s words. Surely this was worse than death? And from the Amazon reviews Yuuri had showed him, it seemed this was only the beginning.

 

He sighed, shaking his head at himself. He had no idea how he managed to get into these ridiculous situations all the time.

 

Another spasm wracked his body and he made his way back to the bathroom from where he’d been lying on the bed, prepared for yet another round.

 

**XOXO ANGEL XOXO**

YUURI!!!!  
YUURI!  
I’m dying

No you’re not

YES YES I AM  
･ﾟﾟ･(×_×)･ﾟﾟ･｡

Yeah, no, pretty sure I took care of that already

HAHA  
This is NOT funny  
Can’t I have at least a little sympathy?

Oh my poor puppy  
Poor little Vitya  
Don’t you dare turn the fans off

( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )  
Can I have some mint tea?  
Please???

Yes  
I can do that  
But I’m leaving it outside the door  
You’re stinking up the whole hallway

YUURI!!!!  
So mean  
Treating your husband that way  
SHAME!

We’re not married

…  
Yet

( ˘ ³˘)♥  
Soon enough  
Ok, I’ll bring the tea

Love you  
moy temnyy angel

Love you too Vitya  
❤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the pendants:
> 
> Yuuri - https://www.gemologica.com/mens-stainless-steel-antiqued-circle-pendant-necklace-mens-jewelry-p-8409.html  
> Viktor - http://www.justmensrings.com/Mens-Tribal-Stainless-Steel-Sculptural-Pendant--JN1008_p_833.html  
> Phichit - http://www.titaniumjewellerysmart.co.uk/2011-new-styles-titanium-necklaces/1491-fashion-pure-titanium-mens-pendants-and-necklace-sun-whell.html
> 
> Mt. Bohemia: http://www.mtbohemia.com/
> 
> Viktor’s *extra* special gummy bears inspired by:  
> http://slightlyviral.com/beware-sugarless-gummy-bears-on-amazon-com/
> 
> Disclaimer: regarding the gummy bears, I am in no way endorsing the truth of the statements, made on that website or on Amazon, nor am I promoting that opinion; I am merely referencing the website for the sake of fiction. 
> 
> Up next: Viktor gets a job, Yuuri’s pole dancing workshop, Viktor is cleared by Yakov and completes his 1st assignment.
> 
> The next chapter is the last one of the main story. Will be followed by an Epilogue and a bonus chapter called “The Phichit Files”. The plan is to post Chapter 14 on Tuesday Sept 12th around 2 pm as usual.


	14. Step Right Over and Watch Me Put it Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor gets a job, Yuuri’s pole dancing workshop, Viktor is cleared by Yakov and completes his 1st assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title reference in end notes to avoid spoilers - pls read, you will *die* laughing
> 
> This is it! The last chapter. Except the Epilogue of course which I think is my favourite part of the whole fic. Well, and the Phichit files since I couldn’t manage to stuff everything into the main chapters. So since you’ve stuck around this long, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

~~~~~~

 

_March 19, 2015_

 

Viktor was at the gym, and was very happy to be back to his routine. Chris left the day before, and it had turned out to be a really good visit. Except for the one incident, of course, but other than that there had been none of the awkwardness that had seemed to mar their every conversation. While he had had some time to himself while Chris skated, it was nice to get back to his own schedule rather than working around someone else’s. It was also nice to have some time alone to start to work through his conversation with Yuuri.

 

He’d meant everything he’d said of course, but the new knowledge still required some processing. He hadn’t realized that he’d come so close to… basically destroying his own soul. If it hadn’t been for Yuuri’s bravery and determination he would not have made it. He shook his head. Not for the first time did he remind himself of how lucky he was to have Yuuri. He owed the man so much. And he would repay it as much as he could by taking care of him in return in all the years to come. Shaking himself out of his melancholy thoughts, he focused on his workout.

 

Viktor had fallen into an old workout regimen that was his favourite while skating. It had been a long time since he’d worked his muscles like this and it felt soooo good. This morning’s workout was taking a little longer than usual. There had been another man doing free weights beside him, and Viktor had stopped to help him with his form so he didn’t hurt himself. It happened quite often, and Viktor always stopped to help. It was so different from his training before, when he’d been surrounded by nothing but professional athletes. Most of the people at this gym looked like they had desk jobs, and really didn’t know what they were doing.

 

After he’d finished his last set of free weights, one of the gym employees approached him.

 

“Hi, I’m Peter, I’m a personal trainer here,” he introduced himself holding out his hand.

 

Viktor wiped his hand on his hand towel, and shook the man’s hand. “Viktor, nice to meet you.”

 

“So I notice that you’re quite the regular here and you have a pretty serious regimen, one that I’d design for a professional athlete. I also saw you helping correct someone’s form earlier - that was really good of you. We try to catch when people are lifting incorrectly, but it can be hard when it gets busy.”

 

Viktor licked his lips, not quite sure how to respond at first. “Oh, well, I... uh have always wanted to be a personal trainer, so I like to help people out.”

 

“Oh! Really…” Peter trailed off, thinking for a second.  “You know, I was hoping you would say something like that. I don’t know if you saw the sign, but we’re looking for help. It’s not the most glamorous job, and it’s part time, but while you were working here I’d be willing to help you get certified as a personal trainer if you would agree to be based out of this gym.”

 

Viktor couldn’t believe his luck. It was _perfect._

 

“Thank you… I’d be very interested in that actually. I was just beginning to look for a part time job, and that sounds perfect.”

 

“Great! Next time you’re in, leave your resume at the desk and tell them I asked you to bring it in.” Peter stuck his hand out for another handshake. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you Viktor, I hope we will be working together soon.”

 

Viktor returned the handshake, “Thank you Peter, I really appreciate the opportunity.”

 

Viktor returned to his workout totally thrilled. He could hardly wait to tell Yuuri. And with it being part time, it wouldn’t interfere with his job at Minako’s and would give him some flexibility around assignments.

 

~~~~~~

 

**XOXO ANGEL XOXO**

Where are you?  
You’re supposed to wake me up  
(ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ )

Sorry hun  
m(_ _)m

And what are you going to do  
To apologize?  
Hhmmmmmm???

Ummmm  
I’ll bring you your favourite coffee later?

I suppose that might do

( ˘ ³˘)♥  
I have good news though

?

I was at the gym  
And they’re hiring  
So employee there said to put in a resume!  
He saw me helping someone  
I guess he thought I’d be a good fit

That’s great news!  
I know you’ve been itching to get a job  
But I’ll miss you around the studio  
(ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣﹏ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣)

Well, you’re assuming I’d get it

I have no doubt you will  
❤  
Just use your famous Nikiforov charm

I’d rather use my charm on you  
If you know what I mean  
(͡° ʖ °) (͡° ʖ °)  (͡° ʖ °)

VITYA!!!  
DOWN PUPPY DOWN

:(

~~~~~~

 

_March 20, 2015_

 

This was it… the pole dancing workshop that Viktor had been looking forward to with a combination of excitement and dread since he’d found it on the schedule way back when. Celestino had requested the workshop be two days - so it was scheduled for a Friday and Saturday to accommodate Yuuri’s schedule at Minako’s. They’d still had to cancel a couple classes, but those students were invited to intend as recompense.

 

Celestino was on the stage, making introductory remarks to the students. Most of the students in the theatre program were there, and all of the faculty. Celestino had asked Yuuri to do a demonstration that would show how the pole could be used to integrate dance and drama in an unexpected way. So while this would not be the purely sensual display that Yuuri had put on at New Year’s, he would be in costume, with full stage makeup, lights and set. Yuuri had refused to let Viktor see any of the preparations, saying he wanted to surprise him.

 

Celestino finished his speech and left the stage. The lights dimmed, and Viktor could feel the audience waiting in bated breath to see what would happen. Leo had told Viktor that Yuuri was legendary in their department for his demonstrations, so Viktor knew that there was quite a lot of anticipation to see what Yuuri had in store for them this time.

 

The screen at the back of the stage suddenly came to life, a dizzying view of space, with a large rock in the forefront. It gave the audience the feeling they were hurtling through space while perched on a meteor. It was mesmerizing.

 

Suddenly the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Sd5c4o9UM) came on, a few beats faint at first, then a male rapper started in. Viktor recognized it instantly. Strobe lights flashed across the stage, lighting up two poles. Yuuri strode purposefully to the front centre of the stage, hair in a high ponytail at the back of his head swinging wildly.

 

He looked… dominating.

 

His [costume](http://millaj.com/pics/tfe10.jpg) accented his dancer’s body perfectly. It was black, and had a collar that descended in a stripe down his chest with two strips that looked like bandages that radiating out from the centre and wrapping around his back - one around his chest and the other his waist. The fabric continued downward to form briefs, then more strips ran down the side of his thighs, with two additional strips circling his thighs. He was wearing knee high high heeled [boots ](http://www.luulla.com/product/327026/ladies-boots-sexy-boots-cross-straps-knee-high-boots-thigh-high-boots)that laced up the front and tied at the top of his knee as ballet slippers would. Whoever had done his make up had turned him into a vixen: perfectly accented cheekbones, eyes dark and smokey, framed by long lashes and dark red lips.

 

He was breathtaking. Yuuri’s look managed to capture the essence of the song perfectly; he looked both alien and ethereal. Like some beauty that could not and did not belong on earth but was gracing a few select humans with his presence and would drive them wild with desire.

 

Having reached the centre of the stage he hit the beat hard, incorporating popping and locking into his moves.

 

Suddenly he turned and in a stunning move he ran to the left pole and leapt in the air, mounting the pole easily then working his way up almost like he was walking on a wall. The music changed, a woman’s voice taking over just as he reached the top and he rolled his head in time to the music, bending over backward as he grabbed his leg, pulled himself into a split and undulating a few times around the pole only supported where his thigh and hip hugged the pole and bent upside down the whole time. He continued, his moves echoing the ethereal beat of the music, doing several different spinning moves Viktor could never hope to remember the names of.

 

Viktor gasped, both with the performance and the sight in front of him. The lights blended perfectly with the routine, changing colour with the music and adding the occasional flashing of a strobe light to emphasize the alienness of the whole thing. Yuuri’s costume did nothing to hide the strength of his thighs… or his glutes. Viktor watched gape mouthed at the sheer physicality of the routine. This was far beyond the core strength they required for skating. Not to mention the flexibility…

 

Then Yuuri stopped himself halfway down and grasped the pole with both hands, holding his body out in a perfect horizontal plank. He flipped upside down again, his legs in a sideways split and curled one leg around the pole. He arched his back up so he was facing the audience and let his hands go, slithering and twisting down the pole till he was almost at the bottom. In time to the music he straightened his legs and dropped, catching himself in a perfect plank on the stage floor. Raising one leg completely perpendicular, he swung it past the pole till his legs were side by side. He then jumped to his feet effortlessly.

 

The music now was more rhythmic, and while Yuuri kept the tone hip hop, he incorporated some moves that were definitely more contemporary.

 

He mounted the right pole this time, climbing to the top in a series of spins, each time he rotated grasping the pole higher and higher until he was at the top. He then stretched into a split then grabbed both legs bending into a pretzel and using the sheer muscle of this thighs he rotated around the pole, ever downwards. Suddenly grabbing the pole he stretched his legs out into a split and reached with one hand and grabbed a foot, pulling it behind his head, then continued to spin for two rotations. Stopping himself, he grabbed the other foot, and in an imitation of the Biellmann spin, he rotated around again.

 

Viktor had no words. This was… he didn’t know what. Yuuri was… incredible. Then as Yuuri’s pole work began in earnest, Viktor’s thoughts began to wander to the inappropriate.

 

The costume was doing nothing to hide the flex in Yuuri’s glutes and thighs as he continued to wind around the pole. And Viktor was _thirsty_. Really, really thirsty. He’d been waiting for _months_. And there was a Katsuki cocktail right in front of him that could quench his thirst. He glanced around before (subtly, he hoped) placing his folded coat across his lap to hide his little ‘problem’. Though they were unquestionably lovers now, he had to take things slow, he reminded himself. Although Yuuri was enthusiastic and committed, he was also inexperienced, and Viktor was going to make sure they went at Yuuri’s pace. After all, they had all the time in the world, and it was too important to him that Yuuri be comfortable. But that didn’t stop Viktor from _wanting_. He swallowed thickly, entranced by the performance.

 

About two thirds through the song the rapper came on again, changing the rhythm of the song. Yuuri had dismounted and transitioned with the music, changing his movement to include ‘liquiding’, the stage lights glowing blue and a fog creeping on along the stage floor.

 

The audience lost it, cheering wildly as Yuuri continued, completely focused on his routine and the character he was portraying.

 

The last minute of the performance passed for Viktor in a blink of an eye, Yuuri striding off stage before the final notes of the song amidst more smoke, leaving the audience with the now dizzying view of the meteor speeding through galaxies.

 

The theatre erupted in voracious applause and wolf whistles, the students clearly overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed.

 

And Viktor didn’t blame them. Yuuri’s performance was incredible. It combined so many elements he couldn’t even quite comprehend it. It was almost a contemporary dance, almost a hip hop number, but then it had the pole elements which landed somewhere between the sensuality of a club and what he’d expect to see in a world famous circus routine performed by a professional acrobat.

 

The theatre lights came on and Yuuri came back on stage, meeting Celestino as he addressed the students and explained the format the workshop would follow over the course of the next two days.

 

Viktor only half listened, taking the opportunity to shake himself out of the stupor that Yuuri’s performance had left him in. After a minute he looked up to find Yuuri’s eyes on him. He looked like he was trying to stifle laughter.

 

The little _minx_.

 

It seemed Yuuri existed for the sole purpose of teasing Viktor.

 

Fine then. He wasn’t going to let Yuuri win this round. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, and in challenge, shifting his coat in his lap slightly as he did so.

 

Yuuri glanced down at the coat and a smug look flitted across his face before he looked up at the general audience again.

 

Viktor sighed. ‘Checkmate’ indeed. Yuuri had won this round, he conceded to himself. But next round… he wouldn’t fall for his wiles so easily.

 

_March 25, 2015_

 

Viktor woke up excited. It had been exactly six months since he’d been called and Yakov would visit today for what would be hopefully his last assessment and he’d be cleared to do his own assignments.

 

Huh, he thought with amusement. At some point he had stopped thinking about October 25, 2014 as the day he died. Now it was the day he was called. He understood why reapers thought of it as a birthday, it did actually feel like one. He realized at that moment how much he had changed. He no longer thought like a human - he thought like a reaper.

 

He got dressed quickly to go down to the gym and went down to the kitchen. He left Yuuri still fast asleep. The man really wasn’t a morning person and he didn’t have to be at the studio until 10:00 that morning so Viktor let him sleep even though he’d whine later about waking up alone.

 

Grabbing a protein bar and some coffee, he was out the door a scant few minutes later, and he walked in the gym at exactly 7:30, his usual time.

 

When he entered, he was surprised to find that Peter was standing by the front desk. He waved him over. “Hey Viktor, thanks for dropping off your resume last week. The manager let me know this morning that they want to hire you on.”

 

“Oh!” Viktor was a bit taken aback. “Without an interview? Not that I’m not excited about it!”

 

“No, they didn’t think it was necessary. Bob’s watched you helped out other members since you started coming here, and after our conversation, he thought that was enough to justify calling your references. They gave you glowing reviews, so we’re happy to take you on.”

 

“Oh, that’s great! Thank you! I’d be thrilled to work with you!” Viktor was surprised no one had mentioned it to him. He’d listed Minako and Celestino as references. Though he hadn’t actually worked for Celestino, part of the man’s job was making sure that things like a fictitious employment history were covered. But he was thrilled thinking that Minako had given him a good reference. Despite initially taking on the work so reluctantly, he was really proud of the work he did for the studio. It was nice to know that Minako also thought that he did a good job.

 

“That sounds like you’re accepting our offer, so when you’re done, come find me in the office, and we’ll sort out the paperwork, and talk scheduling.”

 

Viktor smiled broadly. “That sounds great! I’ll be done in about an hour or so.” He shook Peter’s hand then went to the changeroom, almost dancing with excitement. Things really seemed to be falling into place.

 

~~~~~~

 

He got back home to an empty townhouse just after 10. He was a little disappointed he hadn’t been able to tell Yuuri the good news right away, but he supposed waiting didn’t make a big difference. Although judging from the ‘where are you’ text he got, Yuuri was a little grumpy, so waiting might be a good thing. Yuuri would be home earlier than usual that afternoon in anticipation of Yakov’s visit. This time they were meeting at Celestino’s office, and Viktor suspected it was because he’d be given the all clear at the meeting.

 

He was a bundle of nervous energy, and not knowing what else to do with his time, he decided to cook. After all, the traditional World’s viewing party was in a couple days, so he could start on some food for that. And at the very least, get all the groceries he’d need. That would save time in the coming days.

 

Deciding on a plan for the day, Viktor set to work, doing a menu plan and grocery list and headed out to the store.

 

~~~~~~

 

He spent the day prepping the filling for a traditional pirozhki, making a marinated vegetable salad, cooking baby potatoes which he would later scoop out and fill with a lox cream cheese and top with shredded cucumber, and made meatballs that would be stewed in a rich tomato sauce.

 

While he was always mindful of their diet and tried to keep things to grilled lean protein and vegetables as he could, he felt like celebrating this time. So with the menu he indulged himself in more more carb heavy offerings and more cheese than he’d normally allow.

 

Yuuri came home around 3:00 and sat at the counter keeping him company for a bit while he finished up. Though he would normally help, he knew Viktor well enough to not interfere this time since Viktor was on a mission.

 

Excusing himself for a shower he disappeared for a while. In that time Viktor finished up his prep. Yuuri returned as he was contemplating what to make for dinner. They were due at Celestino’s at 5:00 and he’d thought to have dinner ready to reheat for when they got home. It was already 4:00 though so he was running out of time.

 

“Why don’t you take a shower, while I dry my hair? Then you can braid it for me and we’ll go?” Yuuri suggested. “We can worry about dinner later, or maybe we’ll bring something home.”

 

Viktor paused. That sounded like a good idea actually. There really wasn’t enough time to do anything much for dinner. And he would agree to anything if Yuuri let him do his hair. “Yeah, ok, that sounds good.”

 

~~~~~~

 

They arrived at Celestino’s office just before the appointed time and knocked before entering. They were welcomed with Celestino’s signature  “Ciao, Ciao!” booming out.  As they entered, Viktor noted that Yakov was already there, standing in the corner behind Celestino’s desk. Viktor gulped self consciously. He still wasn’t accustomed to this Yakov and didn’t think he ever would be.

 

“Katsuki, Nikiforov, good to see you both again,” Yakov started. “Sit down boys.”

 

Viktor did as requested, sitting in one of the visitor’s chairs, Yuuri sliding into the other on his right. Viktor wondered at Yakov’s sudden use of his last name. Not that he’d _never_ called him that, but it was highly unusual. Celestino smiled at him reassuringly. “No need to look so worried, Viktor. You know you’ve been doing well.”

 

Yakov took that as his cue to get started. “Yes, Celestino is right. I have been reviewing the reports and I am pleased with your progress. It’s evident that the attitude that you displayed at our last meeting was not fleeting. You’ve changed Viktor, and that’s a good thing for the role that you have now. A necessary thing.”

 

“So the first order of business is looking at where you are in the development of your reaper skills, and your ranking in those skills. At your three month evaluation you were ranked as intermediate in mind control and memory modification. Object manipulation rank was advanced, and electrical impulse manipulation was undeveloped, thus unranked. The last skill, teleportation, is not ranked since it’s something a reaper either can or can’t do. Previously you had no experience.

 

“Based on the reports submitted by Celestino, and his recommendations, I have decided that your current rankings are as follows. Advanced for object manipulation and electrical impulse manipulation. Intermediate for mind control and memory modification and ‘complete’ for teleportation.”

 

“We will come back to this topic in a bit. But moving on, the next evaluation is with respect to how well you have adapted to being a reaper. Your reports indicate that you no longer question how assignments are completed. You do not have any unexpected adverse reactions when things get messy. Based on Katsuki’s evidence of how you handled the situation with Chris, I do not count a bit of vomiting after teleporting as an adverse reaction. And speaking of Chris, you have now demonstrated acknowledgement and understanding of the importance of Rules 4&5\. As well, you have demonstrated that you can handle high pressure situations. I’ve also learned that you’ve applied for a job, in a career path that is well suited to your background. This tells me that you have let go of your past and are taking positive steps forward to get yourself settled in the afterlife. From all this I have concluded that you have successfully adapted to being a reaper.”

 

“Any questions so far?”

 

“No sir.” Though he didn’t have any questions, Viktor spent a moment marveling over Yakov’s summary. It seemed Yuuri really had planned his training out exactly, making sure that he hit every nail on the head, and was able to demonstrate success at everything that Yakov would be looking for. He felt a rush of appreciation for the man. And Phichit too, of course. Together they had made sure that Viktor had all the experience he needed to be successful.

 

“Very well,” Yakov continued. “Next is the evaluation of your general mental state. Last time I concluded that it was satisfactory, and I’ve seen nothing that changes my opinion. In fact, in the latest report it’s mentioned that you now understand exactly what nearly happened in Geneva, and you have accepted that and have shown no adverse effects as a result of that knowledge. This has given me full confidence that your mental state is completely stable, and that you can handle the stresses that will come from completing your own assignments.”

 

“That leaves me to the last, and most critical part of the evaluation - your suitability to continue as a reaper. From my last statement, I’m sure you can tell that I have concluded both that you are suitable to continue as a reaper, and that you are now ready to complete your own assignments.”

 

Viktor’s breath caught in a gasp, and Yuuri put a hand on his knee and squeezed.

 

“So congratulations, reaper Nikiforov. You are now a full fledged reaper. Celestino will have your first assignment shortly. I suggest for the first few that you take Phichit or Yuuri along with you. While they can’t complete your assignments, they can provide advice and suggestions, and help with any necessary memory modifications after the event if needed.”

 

Yakov moved around the desk to shake his hand and Viktor got up to meet him. “Thank you Yakov, I’ll make you proud.”

 

“I know you will. I expect nothing less. Now… one last thing. You won me gold medals during your life Vitya, and I expect no less now.” Viktor sat down. Ahhh… here it was. The legendary Yakov lecture.

 

“As you know, you are part of the most elite reaper unit. And I will not have you dragging that rank down. Right now you have no rank, as you have not completed any assignments yet. During your first year, Yuuri will continue to report to Celestino and Celestino will report to me. After your first year, you will receive another evaluation and a ranking based on what would be expected within your year of call. This continues until your third year, and then you are ranked with all the other reapers. Understood?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“One of the ways your rank is determined is by the level of your skill. While the general levels are junior, intermediate and advanced, within those three categories, there are ten sublevels - 10 being the lowest and 1 the highest. After consultation with Celestino, we have decided that you will be classed as a level 5 advanced for both object manipulation and electrical impulse control. For memory modification and mind control, intermediate level 1. A little more practice and you’ll move to advanced on that skill as well. You should know that you are starting out in the 15th percentile of reapers, Viktor. Not many achieve this high a skill. I expect your growth to continue.”

 

Yakov turned to Yuuri. “Congratulations to you as well, Katsuki. You’ve done a great job at making sure Nikiforov is where he needs to be… not to mention in taming him.”

 

“Yakov!!!” Viktor burst out.

 

Yakov just rolled his eyes. “You know it’s the truth. Now, I don’t mean to cut this short, but I’m due elsewhere. Again, congratulations.” With a final nod at both of them and a small wave to Celestino, Yakov was out the door.

 

Celestino fixed his attention on them both, smiling widely. “I knew you would do it. Your progress has been astounding Viktor, congratulations. And you too Yuuri. You’ve proven your ranking by how well you’ve mentored Viktor. Now you two should get going! I’m sure Phichit’s anxious to hear the news.” He turned to Viktor. “And I’ll let you know as soon as something comes in. Be prepared that it will be sooner not later.”

 

Viktor stood up, pulling Yuuri up with him. “Thanks Celestino - we’ll see you soon.” Celestino waved them out and they made their way to the bus stop.

 

On the way home Viktor’s phone buzzed with a text from Peter confirming his schedule. He would start the next week.

 

“Oh! Yuuri, I have news. I had forgotten all about it I was so nervous about today’s meeting. Remember I told you about applying for a job at the gym? I got it! Without even an interview! It’s part time, so I can still work at Minako’s and pretty flexible as far as schedule, so it should work. I’m starting next week!”

 

Yuuri hugged him closer. “That’s great news! Today’s been quite the day hasn’t it? I’m so happy for you! We should do something to celebrate.” Yuuri now had a mischievous grin on his face.

 

Viktor decided to play into it. “Well... I can think of a few things I’d like to do with you to celebrate,” he said, his voice low and sultry.

 

Yuuri leaned back and punched his shoulder. “You’re such a brat! That’s not what I meant, and you know it!”

 

Viktor pouted. “Yuuri~! I can’t help it! You’re just too enticing. You nearly killed me at the pole workshop.”

 

Yuuri laughed. “Well, killing you does seem to be something I’m particularly good at…”

 

“Yuuri~!”

 

“Oh Vitya, you can have some of that kind of celebrating later… if my ice puppy behaves for the rest of the evening, that is.”

 

Viktor grumbled but was mollified. He sank back further in his seat  and rested his head on Yuuri’s shoulder, unable to hold back a wide grin. He’d done it, he thought to himself. He’d finally been cleared to work on his own. He was so proud of himself.

 

They got back to the townhouse around 6:30. Viktor was still buzzing with excitement so we wasn’t paying a lot of attention when they walked in the door.

 

“CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!” He jumped about a foot in the air. The whole unit was there, even JJ and Isabella.

 

Viktor blushed, having been completely taken by surprise. He turned to Yuuri, thinking back to their conversation on the bus. “Now tell me, _who’s_ the REAL brat, here?!!!?”

 

Yuuri just grinned at him and drew him further in. “You don’t think we’d let such an important occasion go unmarked, did you? Come on Vitya, you’re the man of the hour. Relax and enjoy!”

 

And Viktor did.

 

~~~~~~

 

_March 27, 2015_

**ChrisDaMan**

  
Hey!  
Good luck  
You need to win another gold!

In a hurry to get married?

NO!  
Well yes, but no  
I just want to see you get what you deserve

Awww aren’t u sweet  
( ˘ ³˘)♥

Lol  
You’ll do awesome  
Oh! I have some news  
I got a job

Awesome!  
ヾ（＾ヮ＾)ﾉ  
Where?

The gym  
It’s not much  
Part time  
So I can still work at the studio  
But they’re going to help me  
Get certified to be a personal trainer!

Oh wow!  
That’s great news  
Although I’m surprised you still want to do accounting

Meh  
I’ve sort of gotten the hang of it now  
Some of the analysis is interesting

Now now  
Be honest  
You just want to keep working there  
So you can gaze at a certain booty

Chris!!!!  
Well you’re not totally wrong  
Oh!  
I have to send you the pole dance thing  
Hang on

<link>

 

Mon Dieu!!!  
That is…  
Wow

I know, right???

And you’re engaged to those glutes  
… I might be a little jealous!

NGL  
I might be a bit smug about that

ψ(｀∇´)ψ

Besides, you’re taken

Oui, oui  
And very happily so

❤  ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ  
I’m so happy for you  
Now go win gold!!!

~~~~~~

 

Viktor was proud of himself. He’d wanted so badly to share the news with Chris, but he refrained. It would just bring up more awkward topics. He was determined he wasn’t going to mention anything reaper related at all unless directly asked.

 

He was on his way to Celestino’s office to pick up his first assignment. He felt confident, a little nervous, but mostly confident. He knew he could do this.

 

Celestino greeted him warmly and handed him the envelope. “Viktor, I’d like you to review it now and let me know if you have any questions. It looks like an easy one.”

 

He took the paper out.

 

**Belinda Tomas, 3:09 pm, March 29, 2015, Detroit MI, USA**

 

He quickly reached out with his mind. Nineteen years old, lived at home with her parents, older sister. Would be at Belle Isle the next day with her boyfriend. Seemed easy enough.

 

He looked up at Celestino. “No questions. Should be simple. I’ll bring Yuuri with me just in case. Phichit’s busy trying to get organized for finals.”

 

Celestino nodded at him. “Good luck. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

 

_March 28, 2015_

 

They had decided to hold their party on the 28th and watch both the men’s Short and Free programs back to back. Viktor had already looked at the result though, and knew that Chris was in first. He’d sent him a congratulatory text, which had only been met with a string of (confusing) emojis. Viktor would have to get Yuuri to translate later.

 

Since Viktor had already done some of the prep, the day was a little easier. He was glad he had something to do though or he’d be much too focussed on the assignment tomorrow. This was a good distraction.

 

As he assembled the pirozhki, he wondered how Yuuri would be that night. The last time they’d had a viewing party, he’d been so upset. They had been skating a few times since Christmas Eve, not doing anything but simple skating during public skating hours so they’d blend in. Yuuri had seemed more comfortable with it. Tonight would tell though. Viktor really hoped that he’d been able to help Yuuri move past his issues, at least a little.

 

Viktor began setting out the food. He was especially proud of the menu this time. Between the pirozhki, the green curry chicken kabobs and the Katsudon bites, he’d managed to capture their favourite foods. Added to that a mix of western dishes and they would have leftovers for days. Or should anyway. Who knew with Yurio coming - their perpetual teenager could eat his weight in food.

 

The night progressed as most of their parties did. Everyone was boisterous and there was an unending friendly banter. The one main difference was Yuuri. No longer in competition mode or filled with regrets, his commentary took on a fond, affectionate teasing tone. No doubt their companions probably thought it was due to getting to know Chris, but Viktor knew better.

 

His Yuuri had started truly putting things behind him. No longer was he envious of the skaters he watched. No longer was he longing to be out there. And most importantly, no longer did he feel like he had anything to prove. To anyone. Instead he was able to watch the others’ struggles and triumphs, removed, finally, from that world.

 

As the night went on, Viktor found himself watching Yuuri more often than the competition. He was filled with a sense of peace and contentment knowing that Yuuri had finally started to put his past behind him. And he felt so privileged to be a part of that healing process.

 

In the end Chris won, as they had expected. When the final results were posted, Yuuri leaned down to where Viktor was sitting at his feet. He whispered softly in his ear, “That’s one down, now only four to go…”

 

_March 29, 2015_

 

The day had finally arrived. Viktor’s first reap. He was excited, nervous - very, very nervous, but excited. He started the day going to the gym - one of his last as a paying customer - even though it was usually one of his off days. He’d waited for Yuuri to wake up, not wanting to face a pissy text later. Yuuri had doted on him a bit excessively, promising him Belgian waffles when he got home. He had his doubts. He’d probably come home to find either Yuuri and Phichit squabbling with breakfast unmade, or some sort of soggy take out. But he’d played the role of a good boyfriend, smiling his appreciation before he left. So long as it didn’t make him sick, it didn’t really matter.

 

He had a fantastic workout, really working some of his lesser used muscles, and left the gym feeling refreshed. He returned about two hours later finding his two roommates in the kitchen arguing, much as he’d expected.

 

The kitchen was a mess, spattered in various liquids and powders that may or may not have included flour. Viktor sighed. Why did he let these two in the kitchen? EVER?

 

He tossed his gym bag down and banished them from the kitchen, chasing the hooligans out with a clean spatula. Sighing, he set about putting the place to rights, yelling (somewhat playfully) at Yuuri every time he peeked around the corner.

 

He ended up making crepes since they were faster. The boys had already washed the fruit, which helped, and he put cream cheese, protein powder, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in the upright mixer to make a quick whipped filling.

 

When it was done he called the boys out of their detention, and they descended on the kitchen like the house was on fire. Rolling his eyes at their antics, he helped himself and settled in to enjoy a good breakfast.

 

When they were done, Yuuri looked at him sheepishly. “Sorry to make such a mess Vitya. We wanted to surprise you.”

 

“Uh huh. The only surprise was that the floor was still relatively clean. You two are banned from cooking unless it’s something simple like salad or sandwiches. Or cereal. I’ll let you do cereal.” Viktor was smiling cheekily.

 

Yuuri stuck his tongue out. “I’ve said it before - we were able to function perfectly fine before, you know.”

 

“Yeah - on take out!” Viktor retorted. And he knew it was true. When he first arrived the plethora of take out containers and pre-made meals from the local grocery had been almost all there was.

 

Phichit laughed uproariously. “Ok, fine, Viktor. You have us there. Yuuri might not want to admit it, but you’re right.”

 

“PHICHIT!!! TRAITOR!!!”

 

“Hey, I know which side my bread is buttered on!!! He _feeds_ me Yuuri. Do you know how many centuries it’s been since I’ve eaten so well???!!!”

 

Viktor and Yuuri exchanged a glance. That was the first time Phichit had alluded to his age.

 

“Hhmph. Fine then, I’ll make sure I keep that in mind the next time you want me to take your side!” Yuuri stuck out his lip in a mock pout. His hair was in a high ponytail again and when he swung his hair with that pouty face he looked adorable.

 

Viktor just laughed at the two of them. While they hadn’t meant to, they did a good job of helping him relax and not worry so much about the upcoming afternoon.

 

_2:45 pm_

 

Yuuri and Viktor had spent the early afternoon at the aquarium. Yuuri had wanted to see it after hearing about Viktor’s visit and this was the perfect opportunity since it was the location of the assignment.

 

They had a phenomenal time touring the aquarium, and it reminded Viktor a lot of their Valentine’s date. He made a mental note that they needed to get out and spend more time together like this. They didn’t do it nearly as often as they should.

 

As the time approached, they headed outside. Viktor had located the assignment and suggested to her that it was a good time to enjoy the spring air. He had refused to discuss his plan with Yuui, knowing the other man would probably disapprove. But, it felt right, and it was something that he was very, very good at. And, ok, maybe it was cheating a little, since he was so familiar with the method, but it seemed too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

 

_3:01 pm_

 

Having spotted the assignment, they sat down on a nearby bench to keep watch. Viktor brought out a thermos of tea he had brought and poured them each a cup.

 

“It’s really beautiful here. Thanks for bringing me Vitya. I can’t believe I’ve lived here so long and have never been.”

 

Viktor laughed. “Well, I may have brought you along, but it’s not me that’s the reason we’re here.”

 

Yuuri smiled back at him. “No, I guess it’s not. But still, the sentiment is the same. I’m glad you shared this with me.”

 

Viktor grabbed his free hand and kissed his knuckles. “My pleasure, moy temnyy angel. I love spending time with you. I was just thinking that we need to do things like this more often. We spend so much time with the others, it’s nice to spend some alone time now and then.”

 

Yuuri hummed in agreement. “Let’s figure something out when we get home. Put it in the calendar so we don’t just let time pass us by and forget.”

 

Viktor glanced down at his watch. 3:06. It was time.  He focussed his mind, the same way he had before and called his little friends forth. Same as last time, there were around six in the area. Yuuri was looking at him curiously, the hint of both a smile and a frown on his face. “Vitya, maybe I should have insisted you tell me what you were planning…”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I have it under control,” Viktor replied, with a wide grin. He reached into his bag and threw a number of peanuts on the ground.

 

Yuuri groaned.

 

Viktor smiled wider.

 

One by one the peanuts moved further and further out, some towards the assignment, others further away. And like last time, the squirrels followed, entranced by their food seemingly moving on its own. After another moment, two squirrels ended up right near the assignment.

 

Yuuri covered his eyes. “Oh, no, Vitya, no. Please tell me you’re not going to…”

 

“Not going to what, Yuuri?” Viktor asked innocently, evil grin firmly plastered on his face. “I’m just taking care of the assignment.”

 

Yuuri just groaned louder but peeked through his fingers.

 

Viktor, smiling maniacally like the true puppet master he was, gently nudged a peanut towards the subject and ever-so-gently guided it up her pant leg. The squirrel followed enthusiastically, running up her leg inside her jeans, causing the woman to scream in surprise.

 

Wanting to make sure he’d thoroughly taken care of things, Viktor did the same with the second nut, and soon the woman was running around screaming with two squirrels climbing up and down her legs searching for the nuts.

 

She did this bizarre dance that somewhat reminded Viktor of one of Yuuri’s hip hop routines, laughing and screaming in equal measures while her boyfriend looked on, trying and failing miserably to help. He was laughing too hard at her ridiculous ‘dance’. She spun closer and closer to the edge of the park, still jumping around trying to shake the squirrels out.

 

Then, just as a car came speeding by, she lost her balance (thanks to Viktor) and fell in front of the car before the driver had time to react.

 

 **3:09 pm**  
Assignment complete.

 

A puff of mist eased up from the body and promptly disappeared to Tir Bheannaithe. Viktor nodded, pleased with himself. It went exactly how he’d envisioned. Better even, since both the assignment and her boyfriend had been laughing right until the end. He’d managed an easy transition, and given the boyfriend a memory that in time hopefully he would come to cherish.

 

He turned to Yuuri who was sitting with his hands still partly covering his face. Viktor couldn’t quite discern his expression. “Umm… Yuuri… everything ok? I mean it went well, it’s all good, assignment complete and all that, right?”

 

Yuuri didn’t look at him. Instead he brought his hands down, picked up his tea and stared at it a moment. He brought it to his lips, taking a long sip and shook his head. Finally he looked up at Viktor. His eyes were shining and he was smiling.

 

“Vitya… you really are a never ending chain of surprises. I could not possibly love you more than I do right now.” He then leaned forward and kissed Viktor deeply, a reminder of how they loved each other now, and a promise of what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from Disney’s Phineas and Ferb “Squirrels in My Pants” - Please, please, please watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OID7gA8fcaw
> 
> Obviously my inspiration for Viktor’s reap.This has been the endgame from the start. Chapter 11 mischief was just a warm up for the main squirrel event.
> 
> Yuuri’s pole dance music: E.T. (feat. Kanye West) by Katy Perry.
> 
> Yuuri’s costume inspiration (from Mila’s official site): http://millaj.com/pics/tfe10.jpg
> 
> Yuuri’s boots - these but in black: http://www.luulla.com/product/327026/ladies-boots-sexy-boots-cross-straps-knee-high-boots-thigh-high-boots
> 
> Inspiration for Yuuri’s pole routine - Adam Lin:
> 
> Starting at 3:40 but stop it once he finishes, they show an injury (huge swelling from broken ankle, not graphic, but just in case you’ve been warned).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqdoF0zcOEs
> 
> and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKbWcmSiL50
> 
>  
> 
> I can’t find where I found the Bielmann spin on a pole but I swear I saw it somewhere on youtube and it was JAW DROPPING.
> 
> Plan is to post the Epilogue Friday, Sept 15th somewhere between 2-4 depending. I have a very very detailed outline but haven’t written it yet. It’s rather emotional, so if I need more time to get it right, next update will be Tuesday Sept 19th.


	15. Epilogue - And We Can Love Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 40 years later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Queen, “Who Wants to Live Forever” (Highlander Version)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c75cOL0G8I
> 
> … because really… our boys will be together forever and always. As will their shenanigans! Good thing the universe designed it that way…
> 
> The epilogue is in Yuuri’s perspective - we’ve come full circle. I outlined this at the same time I outlined the beginning. This has always been where their journey takes them, and it should explain/ wrap up some things in other chapters. If you look back you'll see the seeds for this have been planted gradually throughout.
> 
> This has some ups and downs, so you may want some tissue nearby… My husband actually cried after certain parts, and he’s not a crier, so...um... sorry?
> 
> At a certain part I link to some music - I recommend you listen to the music while reading it. It has a lot of meaning for Phichit and Yuuri. Or at least after look up the lyrics :)

~~~~~~

_April 20, 2055, Hatsetu, Japan_

 

Tomorrow was their 35th wedding anniversary, and for the first time in about 45 years Yuuri had returned to his hometown. Except for the few major landmarks, like the Ninja castle and the market, it was virtually unrecognizable.

 

He leaned back, letting the magic of the waters of the onsen carry his worries away. He and Viktor were there for their traditional five year anniversary “honeymoon”. Viktor, ever a romantic, had insisted that since Yuuri had said they would only have one wedding that they would at least have regular honeymoons. (“After all, Yuuri, what’s the fun of getting new identities if we can’t enjoy our favourite moments over and over again?)

 

Viktor had been keeping track of his family, apparently wanting to take Yuuri here for one of their anniversary trips. He had told Yuuri that his sister had sold the onsen a couple of years ago and moved to Tokyo. The only others that might remember him were Nishigori and Yuuko, but they had retired… and it had been so long he doubted they would recognize him now anyway. Especially since Viktor insisted he keep his hair long. If he was truthful, he kept his hair long for the sole purpose of letting Viktor play with it. But his husband didn’t need to know that. His ego was inflated enough.

 

“Yuuri~! What are you thinking about?”

 

“Just about how much things have changed since I was here last.”

 

“Are you ok? We can go elsewhere if you’re uncomfortable here, you know. It’s really no problem.”

 

Yuuri smiled. Viktor was so solicitous, always putting Yuuri’s comfort first. “No, it’s fine Vitya. Just taking it all in. I don’t break that easily - you should know that!” He smiled reassuringly. Knowing Viktor, if he even suspected Yuuri was stressed out he’d have them whisked away in a private jet before Yuuri could blink.

 

Viktor chuckled. “Oh, moy temnyy angel, I know you’re not a fragile creature. But…  let me know if you change your mind. I have some things in mind that are meant to be fun, but I don’t want to bring you any painful memories. And… I thought you might want to pay your respects while you’re here.”

 

“My sister would have their ashes in her own shrine, but yes, I’d like to visit the temple. There’s Minako too.”

 

Viktor nodded, and they passed a moment in comfortable silence. “So - dinner? I was thinking maybe we could just wander down to the market and see what the street vendors have. Or maybe a ramen shop. What do you think?”

 

“That sounds perfect. Something nice and casual for our first day here would be great. I’m sure you have something already planned for tomorrow.”

 

“Of course! Our 35th anniversary has to be extra special!”

 

Yuuri laughed at his husband’s antics. “You say that _every_ year, Vitya!”

 

“I’ll never stop celebrating the day we said our vows Yuuri~. Each year is even more special than the last.”

 

Yuuri just smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing further into the water. He’d learned a long time ago that his soulmate was a hopeless romantic… and a major dork. In other words - perfect.

 

~~~~~~

 

That night Yuuri stayed awake long after Viktor had fallen asleep beside him. Being back in Hatsetu, and in his childhood home - but as a guest - had made him reminisce about his past, something he didn’t do frequently. But being here again he felt almost like a relic. Apparently his death had brought a lot of attention to his hometown, and to skating, and there were bits and pieces of that legacy scattered around the town. Even the onsen described itself as being “the childhood home of Katsuki Yuuri, Japan’s junior ace and earthquake victim”. It was weird to think that 44 years after his death he was still remembered.

 

And ironic considering how he had initially felt about his death.

 

Yuuri remembered how angry he was, how lost and frustrated. He’d been so close to achieving his goals in life and to die right before what he thought of as the climax of his career was devastating. But his Vitya had helped him through that, had helped him leave that behind and embrace everything he had _now_. In fact, they had gotten married at Matsushima. It had been Viktor’s idea, reasoning that since Yuuri had made peace with how he had died, he should supplant the memories of that place with happier ones.

 

So they had gotten married on April 21, 2020, in Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park in Matsushima, not far that from where Yuuri had died. The sakura blossoms were on full display, and it was absolutely beautiful. Phichit, of course, had been his best man. Chris was Viktor’s, though it would be the last time Viktor saw Chris in person. Viktor had slowly let Chris drift away from him, winding their friendship down in the way most people did as they grew up and their paths diverged. Yuuri had been proud of him for that, knowing how difficult it was, though he wouldn’t talk about it much.

 

It really had been a perfect day, and the _right_ way to start their marriage. After all, as reapers it was a much more serious commitment than it was for humans. Yuuri fully believed in the traditions that held that how you start out would set the tone for your entire relationship. And they had taken things slowly, Viktor being uncharacteristically patient with him. Yuuri loved him _so much_ for that. So much. That he had taken the time and effort to understand not just the potential consequences/ risks of their union but also Yuuri’s own background and traditions. His Vitya always put Yuuri’s needs before his own.

 

He held up his right hand, gazing at the well worn ring on his ring finger. They still wore the rings Yuuri had given them so long ago, though the engraving had long worn off of both of them. Marriage traditions had changed a lot over time with the de-genderfication of marriage (for lack of a better description since the term gender had lost almost all its meaning). Social norms dictated that married or committed couples wear rings on the left hand to avoid confusion. So they both had over-the-top-chosen-by-Viktor diamond rings on their left hands. But for them, their original rings would always be the most important.

 

He thought back to all the names they’d had. After their wedding Viktor had taken Yuuri’s name, saying that it only made sense since he was the elder. But they’d changed identities several times since their wedding since reapers were required to relocate every ten years or so. It was quite the ordeal, with Yakov shuffling around units geographically and Celestino arranging new identities for everyone in their unit (all this was especially challenging once JJ married Isabella). They were currently based out of Vancouver, BC, a far cry from their last location in Brazil.

 

But each time they had to relocate, they had insisted on two things. Each time their new identities had to be legally married, and they got to choose their last name. It was both a fun and special thing for them - each last name was chosen after a famous figure skater. Their current last name was Taylor, after Vern Taylor who was the first skater to land a triple axel in competition, back in 1978.

 

Yuuri’s mind then wandered to Viktor… as it always did. The last 35 years had brought so many changes, and brought out so much more of Viktor than Yuuri had thought possible. Viktor began his afterlife with humble beginnings, a stark contrast to his life. Yuuri chuckled internally remembering how he’d whined about things like taking the bus and off brand clothes. And he seemed so superficial at first, so immature. Even the way he’d hit on Yuuri the first few days had been cringe worthy. But he had changed.

 

And it wasn’t just the adorable (successful) attempt at being a housespouse. He had worked hard at Minako’s and his ideas had made profits skyrocket. When he had eventually quit, Minako had pouted for *months. But he had gotten the job at the gym and worked doggedly to become a personal trainer. From there he’d squirreled away every spare penny and started investing.

 

He snickered out loud at his own bad joke - “squirreled”! Viktor was known for his over the top reaps. His first reap with the squirrel summarized his style perfectly. He gave Phichit a run for his money in the comedy department. But he had been trading the rank of #1 reaper with Viktor for almost as long as they’d been married. He couldn’t deny he was good, even if he _was_ totally ridiculous.

 

It contrasted so much with the fact that the man had turned out to be a financial _genius_. He had acquired the knack while working at Minako’s and taught himself with a few online courses and internet forums. Experimenting with his own money day trading, he’d soon established his expertise. He’d transitioned to working as an investment advisor for some time, but once his investments really took hold, he decided to go back to his original career aspiration.

 

Yuuri’s housespouse.

 

And Yuuri wasn’t complaining. Nope. Not. One. Bit.

 

A gorgeous husband who managed their finances and cooked him dinner every night? Was he really in Tir Bheannaithe instead of Tir na Beatha? _Seriously_. Viktor was too good to be true. But here he was, and he was Yuuri’s, and Yuuri’s alone. He had so much _respect_ for him. He’d grown into such a beautiful, wonderful soul, and he worked so hard. Yuuri was damn lucky, and he appreciated his good fortune every single day.

 

As an added bonus, thanks to Viktor’s genius, they were rich beyond anything Yuuri could imagine. Celestino managed the offshore accounts for them, ensuring the money was accessible for each of their new identities. But, he thought, it was so sweet how Viktor never forgot his beginning in Detroit. He never returned to the entitled self indulgent ‘Viktor Nikiforov, the Living Legend’ who expected luxury at every turn. No, his Vitya was grounded in the real world. And while he didn’t hesitate to enjoy luxury, he never considered himself above the common person (“Yuuri~! Why take a cab when the bus takes us _right_ there?).

 

Overwhelmed by all the memories, Yuuri finally fell asleep, Viktor’s arm still tightly wound around his waist.

 

~~~~~~

 

He woke up slowly - as usual. He HATED mornings. But, remembering what day it was, he tried to rouse himself more quickly than usual. He opened one eye to find Viktor already awake (wasn’t he _always_?) propped up on a bent arm watching him.

 

“Good morning, my sleeping beauty, happy anniversary love.” Viktor pressed a kiss to his forehead and Yuuri groaned. Viktor was much too awake. As usual. He grumbled something that resembled ‘bathroom’ and got up to splash some water on his face and brush his teeth. Feeling a bit more awake, he grabbed his brush and re-entered the room.

 

Handing the brush to Viktor, he sat down, turning around so Viktor could work on his hair. It was their morning ritual, and as far as Yuuri was concerned, the only thing that made mornings tolerable. If he woke up and Viktor wasn’t there for some reason, he was an absolute _bear_. Which he knew was a little ridiculous, but whatever. After Geneva he’d developed a permanent fear of waking up without Viktor beside him. The first while after Viktor recovered and before Viktor moved into his room had been torture.

 

“So, moy temnyy angel, what do you want today? Ponytail? Braid? Or down?”

 

“Hmmm… how about half up? I know you love it down so a compromise.”

 

“Oh I like that idea! I’ll do a bang braid then pull it back.” Yuuri relaxed into Viktor’s ministrations, which ended much too soon. Huh, maybe he should have asked for some elaborate sort of braid instead.

 

“So, Vitya, what’s the plan?”

 

“Well, breakfast first, then a walk on the beach. Some shopping - we have to bring something back for Yurio. Lunch. Then… a little surprise.”

 

Yuuri grinned at him, finally awake enough to feel something other than annoyance at not being asleep. “It wouldn’t be you if there wasn’t a surprise somewhere along the way.”

 

~~~~~~

 

They walked along the beach, and Yuuri suspected both of them had the ghosts of dogs following their every move. Maybe it was time to get a dog. Or two. After all, they could take it/them with them. He’d have to bring it up later when they weren’t in such an emotional mindspace.

 

They walked in silence, just enjoying the simple contact that came with holding hands. But when you’d been together so long, sometimes words weren’t necessary, and this was one of those times. He could feel Viktor missing Makka and missing his hometown.

 

He also knew that there was no regret, no real negative emotions associated with his past anymore. Just a melancholic nostalgia. From what Yuuri had learned, Viktor had been really unhappy at the end of his life; he’d accomplished all he wanted and was completely burnt out. Viktor had been mildly depressed and on the verge of a very serious depression.

 

Looking back, it was probably because his soul was stressed knowing that his soulmate had left the wheel... Yuuri would feel guilty but he’d quit doing that long ago. The pure joy he’d witnessed and felt from Viktor on a daily basis had gotten past even his worst of his self deprecation and he knew that he made Viktor happy. Truly happy.

 

And that was all he needed. Ensuring Viktor was happy had become his most important goal. Not that he would ever waver in his responsibilities as a reaper, but Viktor was, and would always be, his first priority.

 

When they reached a particularly beautiful spot Viktor stopped, his hand directing Yuuri’s perfectly and swinging him around to face him.

 

“Yuuri~. Thank you so much for agreeing to share this with me. Seeing where you came from, what shaped you… it means so much. It’s so beautiful here… and so peaceful. I can see why your parents made a home here. And your descendents before them. There’s a certain kind of peace that I haven’t seen in many places, despite our travels. Matsushima was certainly beautiful, but it was more… ethereal. This has a certain domesticity that makes you want to sink into the earth and develop roots.”

 

Yuuri laughed a bit at Viktor’s speech. “Well that’s a bit melodramatic, but yes, this town has always been about the people living here, not the tourists.”

 

“Hmmm… well maybe one day. I might put it as a suggestion to Yakov.”

 

“You would NOT!”

 

Viktor shrugged. “Why not? Beyond my past with him, we’re his top reapers. He’ll adjust things to make us happy. If you want some time here, just ask.”

 

“Ummm. Ok, I’ll think about it.”

 

“Oh, Yuuri,” Viktor grinned. “Don’t think so hard. Just enjoy today. We’ll be fine wherever they send us anyway.”

 

They ate lunch at a little corner ramen stand then wandered around the town a bit, visiting the shops and picking out gifts for those back home. Yuuri was particularly proud of a tiger hoodie they’d found for Yurio.

 

Yuuri couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore. “So… what’s the plan for the afternoon?”

 

“Mmmm… we’re almost at the right time so I can tell you. We’re going skating. At Ice Castle...”

 

Yuuri was taken aback. “W-what???!! I mean… really? But, um are you sure we won’t run into to anyone?”

 

Viktor smiled at him. “I’m sure. Don’t worry, I’d never risk anything like that. Yuuko’s family won’t be anywhere nearby. And it’s booked just for us. They think it’s a birthday party.  I did plan a little extra memory modification, but I cleared it with Celestino first.”

 

“And I suppose you managed to sneak our skates in our baggage somewhere?”

 

“Of course I did. Can’t have my darling using rental skates.”

 

Yuuri smiled. There were very few things that Viktor was snobbish about, but skates was one of them. He refused to skate in anything less than what he was used to.

 

They headed back to the onsen to pick up their skates. As they approached, Yuuri dawdled, looking up at the entrance. It was no longer called Yu-Topia, the new owners wanting to make it their own. It was hard in a lot of ways, seeing that. But also it made things easier. It had been extensively remodeled, and so although the floor plan was the same, it bore little resemblance to his childhood home, in both appearance and name. He had been worried it would bring back painful memories, but that wasn’t the case at all. Huh, he thought. Viktor had probably known that even before he’d suggested it. The man thought of everything.

 

After grabbing their skates they headed to the rink, Yuuri on autopilot even after all this time. He didn’t even need to think about the route, his feet carrying him eagerly to their destination. When they arrived Yuuri was gobsmacked. He’d expected that it would have been renovated - after all it had been 45 years. But it was a completely new building, nearly twice the size of the original. It had a very modern look to it, so much unlike the almost dilapidated but familiar rink he was used to.

 

Viktor was watching him, an amused smile on his face. “Welcome to Ice Castle Katsuki.”

 

Yuuri turned to him incredulous. “WHAT!!!????!!!!”

 

“They renamed it after you when they rebuilt it.”

 

“Why on earth would they do _that_???? For crying out  loud, I was only in juniors!!!”

 

Viktor hummed. “Well, maybe because the funding for the new arena came with the stipulation it be named after you.”

 

Yuuri whipped his head around so fast his hair whipped him in the face. “WHAT????!!!!! Vitya, WHAT do you know about this???”

 

“Well, um, you see, after you died there were some donations to your old rink to make sure that other local skaters would have the same chances you did. And.. uh… some of those donors were um fellow skaters, maybe.”

 

“ _VITYA_ …” Yuuri used the *voice. The one that he knew Viktor couldn’t lie to.

 

Viktor rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. “Well, that might have been me.”

 

‘WHAT????!!!! How have we been married THIRTY FIVE YEARS and this is the first I’ve heard of it?!!!!”

 

“It um, just never came up I guess. We never talked about what happened after you died. The gala and all that.”

 

“Gala???”

 

“Oh… I thought you would have known. It was in the news a lot after all.”

 

“No. Celestino and Yakov monitored what I could read for news and social media after I died so my anxiety didn’t get to me. You know I had a hard transition. I mean I heard some stuff but not this.”

 

“AH. Yes, that explains it. The ISU organized a skating show with the proceeds benefitting the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. All the skaters volunteered, and it traveled the world for the summer of 2011 before the season started in earnest.”

 

“Oh. And you skated in it?”

 

“Of course I did!!! Yuuri, you were supposed to be my biggest rival. I told you I kept track of your career. I was looking forward to skating against you so much. I wanted you to challenge me… something I hadn’t had in a long time. I was devastated when you died. Oh, and you should know that Chris skated in it too.”

 

“Oh wow… I never knew. But going back to the rink...”

 

“Yes, yes. As I said, I was one of the donors. And it was me that stipulated that it be in your name. I actually talked with your family quite a bit during that time.”

 

“ _REALLY_???!!!”

 

“Oh yes. Not enough that I kept in touch with them after everything was arranged, but yes, I wanted to make sure that you would be happy with what we’d done.”

 

Yuuri couldn’t help it. Tears started sliding down his cheeks and he pulled Viktor into a tight embrace. “Oh Vitya… even then. You’ve always looked out for me.”

 

“Oh? What’s this? I thought _I_ was the emotional one?” Viktor whispered in his ear, gently teasing.

 

Yuuri pulled back with a smile. Viktor always knew what to say. “Alright, my darling ice puppy, let’s go!”

 

Viktor rolled his eyes at the familiar nickname, but allowed Yuuri to pull him inside. “Oh, um Yuuri, there’s one thing I forgot to mention…”

 

Yuuri stopped dead in his tracks right after they got inside. He could feel his face turning bright red as he took in the lobby.

 

Ugh. How embarrassing. He couldn’t believe it. He turned slowly to Viktor. “And just how long has it been like this????”

 

Viktor had the grace to look embarrassed. “Since it was built. I did mention making arrangements with your parents… we wanted the rink to be somewhere that would inspire young skaters?”

 

“I fail to see how this is inspiring!!!”

 

“Yuuri….”

 

Yuuri ignored Viktor and looked around again. The walls were covered in framed photos of him in old competitions. Old promotional posters were also framed and scattered amongst the photographs.  And the worst was a display case that held all of his old medals. And his… skates.

 

“OHHHHH! So all those years ago *this is how Yakov knew what my old skates were!!!”

 

“Of course. I mean it took him some effort to figure out the exact blades and the size, but really it was just a simple suggestion to the manager and memory modification to get the case unlocked.

 

Yuuri shook his head. How was he just finding out about all this now? “Let’s go. I want to see the ice!”

 

Yuuri waited with nervous anticipation as Viktor checked in with the manager, then they made their way to the the Blue rink to put their skates on (wow, Yuuri thought, it had TWO rinks now!). Viktor opened the door for him and as Yuuri entered he felt himself tearing up again.

 

It was the same. But it wasn’t.

 

They had kept the windows that he had loved so much, and the layout of the rink itself was the same. And despite having been rebuilt about 40 years ago, it had been renovated since, and looked clean and modern. Somehow though, it retained some of the old atmosphere and even the old scent… though there was something about the smell of a rink that was universal.

 

Viktor was watching him with a smile on his face. “So? Does it meet with your approval?” He laughed. “I never actually thought I’d be able to ask you that question in person.”

 

Yuuri laughed and grabbed his hand. “It’s perfect Vitya. And thank you. I hope that it has inspired other skaters. I loved this place so much, and it means the world to me to see it still up and running and well taken care of.”

 

“Hurry up and finish lacing your skates! I want to test the ice out! Oh - and we don’t have to be careful. We can do whatever we want, jumps and all. I’ll take care of anyone who might see us.”

 

Yuuri smiled. This was the best anniversary present ever. He might have to talk to Yakov and see if he could return the favour. Yakov hadn’t coached skating in decades, but Yuuri bet he could still make arrangements.

 

He stepped out onto the ice and let out a deep breath. It was… perfect.

 

~~~~~~

 

_April 30, 2055, Vancouver, Canada_

 

They had been back a few days and settled into life as usual. The rest of their trip had been just as enjoyable. They hadn’t stayed long - only five days - since it was difficult to avoid assignments while on vacation. Luckily neither of them had had one this time. It had happened before though, and those times they just used their pendant to teleport. They tried to avoid that as much as possible though since Viktor had never really gotten used to the feeling.

 

It was a Tuesday, which for Yuuri was a lighter day in his schedule. He still taught dance, not wanting to give it up, though now it was more part time since he really didn’t have to worry about his income. He arrived home, and was surprised to see Phichit sitting in the living room with Viktor.

 

Phichit had gotten his own place shortly before the wedding, though he and Viktor had told him repeatedly that there was no need. But Phichit had insisted, an odd look in his centuries-old eyes. He had claimed that the ‘love birds’ needed their own space, which was nonsense. At least he had stayed close though, and he always stayed close when the unit was relocated, for which Yuuri was grateful. He didn’t want to be far from his best friend.

 

Yuuri and Viktor’s always ended up being the defacto unit headquarters, just like Phichit and Yuuri’s once had been. Yuuri loved it, loved having those closest to him always dropping by and being so integral to their lives. Their unit was known among reapers for how tight they were, and it was something they all took pride in.

 

Yuuri greeted them with a wave. “Hey - I’m going to grab a quick shower. Be back in a few!”

 

“Don’t forget to put in the spray in conditioner, and bring the comb with you,” Viktor called after him. Yuuri grinned to himself. Somehow Viktor had also mastered being his personal stylist (both clothes and hair) and esthetician that Yuuri never knew he needed (but according to Viktor he did).

 

He returned shortly after, comb in hand as requested. Viktor smiled at his entrance but had an odd look in his eye, he noted. He ignored it for the moment. He trusted that Viktor would tell him when he needed to. The two of them had worked so hard on communication in their early days together, and it had paid off. After their talk on Yuuri’s 4th ‘birthday’ he no longer kept anything important to himself, and he knew Viktor didn’t either. He’d learned how freeing it was to share the things he used to keep close to his chest and stress about.

 

He sat at Viktor’s feet and relaxed into his ministrations. The world could come to an end while Viktor did this and he wouldn’t care, he thought, completely relaxed.

 

“So Yuuri, there’s something we need to talk about,” Phichit said from his position on the couch, curled against the arm with legs bent and feet tucked in.

 

“Mhmm. Whatcha wanna to talk about?” Yuuri asked, so mellow from Viktor combing his hair he was slurring his words a bit.

 

At that point Viktor stopped combing his hair and placed his hands on each of Yuuri’s shoulders. Yuuri tensed a bit.

 

“I’m going to retire, Yuuri. It’s time. I’m ready.”

 

If Yuuri had a heartbeat it would have stopped right then.

 

He was wrong. The world had just come to an end and he cared. A LOT.

 

“Phichit… no. No. Please, tell me you’re not serious,” he implored his friend.

 

Phichit smiled gently at him. “I wouldn’t joke about something like that Yuuri. Especially not with you.”

 

Yuuri felt like he was being stabbed his chest. And he couldn’t breathe. It hurt _so_ much. He didn’t want to be without Phichit. Phichit who had helped him through anxiety attack after anxiety attack when he’d first been called. Phichit who had been there for him when he saw the first failed assignment. Phichit who had always seen the best in him and taught him everything he knew. Who had taught him to believe in himself and to see himself the way Phichit did. Even the Phichit who had the enormous blackmail file on him… he couldn’t imagine being without him.

 

“But Phichit!!! You’re my best friend!! You can’t leave me. I can’t accept that!” Yuuri was begging now. He vaguely became aware that he was sobbing loudly. Viktor’s hands tightened around his shoulders in support.

 

“I didn’t know Yuuri Katsuki was such a selfish person,” Phichit declared, an eyebrow raised. “I have existed in the afterlife for far longer than most. Two thousand, one hundred, and seventy nine to be exact. I’ve done my duty as a reaper diligently. But I’m tired, Yuuri. I want to experience life again. I’m so, so tired of taking life away from others.”

 

“I love you dearly,” he continued, “and out of everyone I’ve ever trained, I’m the most proud of you. Nothing makes me happier than the fact that we’ve become best friends. But Yuuri, I’m weary of reaping. And that’s what leads to mistakes. I need to retire before I make one. Let me rest, Yuuri. I think I’ve earned it.”

 

Yuuri got up and ran to Phichit and engulfed him in a hug, sobs shaking through him. Phichit patted his shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Yuuri. I’m not worried about you at all. Not only are you one of the best reapers, but you have Viktor to look out for you. The rest of the unit too, but Viktor will always be by your side. I’m not leaving you alone Yuuri. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll meet again.”

 

They stayed like that until Yuuri’s sobs quieted. Viktor appeared beside him and handed him a mug of green tea and a sleeping pill.

 

“Take it, moy temnyy angel. Rest now, we’ll talk more later. Phichit is not going anywhere tonight.”

 

He looked to Phichit who nodded. “Take it Yuuri, I know it was a shock. You need some time to think, then we’ll talk some more, ok?”

 

Yuuri, still numb, accepted the mug and swallowed the pill down. He then let Viktor lead him to bed.

 

“I’ll be back soon, love. Rest now, ok?” And with a quick press of his lips to Yuuri’s forehead he was gone. The sleeping pill taking effect, Yuuri was asleep almost moments later.

 

~~~~~~

 

The next few days were difficult. He found his anxiety had returned, though not to the level he used to suffer from. He moped around, and nothing Viktor did cheered him up.

 

As promised, they had talked a bit more the next day. Phichit had told him that he’d already given notice of his retirement to Celestino and it had received approval from Yakov. Yakov hadn’t come back with a date yet, but it would be three or four weeks. (“Just enough time to plan a party Yuuri!! You have to promise you’ll make my retirement party the stuff of legends!”)

 

Three days after Phichit’s announcement, he had an assignment, and Viktor wanted to accompany him for ‘support’. That was enough to shake him out of his melancholy. He could not, and would not, let this interfere with his duties. And if Viktor thought he needed support, he must be looking particularly pathetic.

 

And there was _nothing_ pathetic about reaper Katsuki.

 

So he put himself back together and got to work.

 

After all, he may not like Phichit’s decision, but Phichit was right. He was being selfish. Not only that, but if Phichit was burnt out, he knew Phichit needed to retire. There hadn’t been an incomplete assignment since Geneva, and that was a very good thing. Phichit was making the right decision. And Yuuri knew he’d be ok. There would be a hole inside him when Phichit left, one that could never be filled by anyone else, but he would be fine. And it wasn’t like Phichit would cease to exist. He’d get to rest a while in Tir Bheannaithe before being born again. A much deserved reward.

 

~~~~~~

 

_May 28, 2055_

 

Phichit was retiring today, and Yuuri was empty. He couldn’t feel anything, he was scared to feel anything because he would ruin it for Phichit. Phichit, his dear friend. The soul that resembled sunlight with his pure joy. ‘Its joy’, he thought. Phichit might be a female next, who knew.

 

He sighed and took some deep breaths. He needed to hold himself together. For Phichit’s sake. Above all else, he needed to be there for his friend, to see him off with love and support, and to leave him with a sense of peace. That’s what would be best for his soul.

 

Yuuri stood stiffly but shook his hands, trying to loosen up. He was dressed in his best suit, Viktor having picked out the cut and material. It looked good on him, he reflected, but taking no comfort in the thought. Then suddenly Viktor appeared out of nowhere, holding him tight.

 

“Hey you, you look fabulous. And yes, I know, you don’t feel it, but you look confident, put together and calm. You _can_ do this. I know you can. And after, though maybe a long time after, you’ll be glad you did.” Viktor paused, giving him an appraising look. “It’s ok, sweetheart. You don’t have to hold everything in. Everyone is going to be emotional. You are so, so strong, Yuuri. Having emotions doesn’t make you weak. Having emotions and still functioning makes you _strong_. You’ll be ok, moy temnyy angel, trust me.”

 

Yuuri looked up at him with gratitude. As usual, Viktor knew exactly what to say.

 

“Thank you, Vitya. You’re right. It’s fine if I get emotional, it’s fine if I cry. Phichit is so important to me, it would be an insult if I held it in.”

 

Viktor smiled at him approvingly, and Yuuri felt himself swell with love. He could get through this. And he’d make it as special for Phichit as he could.

 

Phichit had chosen the Chapel at Queen Elizabeth Park for his party. It was a beautiful place, usually used for weddings, but it suited Phichit’s personality. It was a Friday, so they’d been able to book it even though it was coming into prime wedding season. Although given the popularity of the location, Yuuri suspected Yakov may have influenced things unduly. But it was for Phichit, one of the oldest and most treasured reapers. It was worth it.

 

And his popularity showed in the attendance. The ‘chapel’ was completely full, with reapers standing, filling every available space. Good thing city bylaw officers weren’t present, he thought.

 

There were no chairs like you would see at a wedding. Instead cocktail tables had been set up and convenient intervals, allowing the standing guests to set their refreshments down when needed. Viktor had overseen the catering so of course everything was perfect. And he’d made sure to include all of Phichit’s favourites. The party went on for a good hour and a half before Yakov finally took a spoon to his wine glass, the clinking catching everyone’s attention.

 

He began his speech in true Yakov manner, rough and brash.

 

“Ok, everyone, I need your attention, _PLEASE_!” The last word of course barked out in a mockery of politeness. Everyone fell silent, recognizing it for the order it was.

 

“As you all know, we are here to celebrate the retirement of reaper Chulanont. Reaper Chulanont has served for two thousand, one hundred, seventy-nine years and three hundred forty-five days.”

 

There was a sharp intake of breath from those that didn’t realize Phichit’s age.

 

“Today we celebrate reaper Chulanont’s accomplishments. As of today, reaper Chulanont has completed - without fail - 132,613 assignments, averaging an assignment every 6 days. He is truly one of the best, and has served his duty with unfailing dedication.”

 

“We all know reaper Chulanont for his wit, his sunny disposition and his willingness to help out whenever he can.”

 

Wow, Yuuri thought, Celestino must have written Yakov’s speech. No way would he be so sentimental.

 

Yakov continued, “And now it’s time for us to say ‘thank you’ and to allow reaper Chulanont to finally rest, having completed his duties with honour.”

He turned to Phichit who was standing beside him, smiling gently, and looking at peace. “Reaper Chulanont, now is your time to say goodbye to your fellow reapers, and bestow upon them any gifts you wish.”

 

The guests formed what would be thought of as a receiving line if it was a wedding. His unit hung back, wanting to be the last to wish Phichit goodbye, and to savour every moment they could.

 

Finally it was their turn. JJ went first (of course) with Yurio following, then Mila. Viktor went before Yuuri, letting Yuuri be the very last to say goodbye to their friend and comrade. The whole time Viktor hadn’t let go of his hand, letting his warmth permeate Yuuri’s cold exterior and giving him much needed support.

 

He didn’t exactly listen as Viktor said his goodbyes, but his attention was caught by Phichit handing him something small with a wide (evil) grin on his face. Yuuri groaned internally. He bet that was his blackmail file. He had, of course, promised it to Viktor, long, long ago.

 

With a final word, Viktor embraced him and it was Yuuri’s turn. Yuuri faced his friend, tears streaming down his face, but proud of those tears. Those tears stood for everything they had been through together and everything they meant to each other. Phichit had earned every tear and then some. Phichit smiled at him and wiped at his cheeks, fondy. Not that it did any good since the tears were streaming down fast and furious.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey.”

 

They just stood for a moment, each staring intently, as if trying to memorize the other’s face.

 

Yuuri finally broke the silence. “Thank you Phichit, for everything. Thank you for taking care of me, for laughing with me, for laughing _at_ me, and for giving me a good kick in the ass when I needed it. I’ve never had a friend like you, and I don’t think I ever will again. I hope that you get the rest you so dearly deserve. You deserve nothing but happiness. And... I hope that when you’re born again we’ll meet ...someday maybe. I’ll never forget you Phichit Chulanont, and I’ll be grateful for eternity for the friendship we’ve had.”

 

By this time Phichit had tears streaming down his face as well. “I love you, Yuuri Katsuki. We’ll always be brothers of a sort, and I have no doubt that we will meet again, and more than once in this eternity. Do not be sad, be happy for me. I need this.”

 

Yuuri gave him a watery smile. “I know you do. And you deserve nothing but the best, my friend.”

 

Phichit took a key out of his pocket and handed it to Yuuri. “For you, I leave my memories. All my journals are in a safety deposit box, and they’re yours. As you read them, please remember me with only happiness Yuuri. This is my gift to you; I’ve not shared my memories with anyone else. Take care of them for me, and treasure them like I have.”

 

Yuuri took the key and embraced his friend, for the final time he would in this form. They stayed like that a minute then Phichit finally pulled away. “It’s time Yuuri.” Yuuri nodded at him and stepped away, quickly being enveloped in Viktor’s comforting arms.

 

Yakov came forward then, giving a few words of thanks to everyone in attendance. Then on cue, the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP9AF6DCu4) Phichit had chosen started playing. Yakov waited for about a minute, letting the music play. Then he reached up and grasped Phichit’s pendant… the sun pendant, so reflective of Phichit’s personality. Then, with a few words in the sacred language, Yakov gave a sharp tug and pulled. The chain snapped, leaving Yakov holding the pendant and looking especially solemn.

 

With a peaceful smile on his face, Phichit closed his eyes, and as they watched he lost his form, returning to pure soul form then fading away to Tir Bheannaithe. And just like that it was over.

 

Swallowing thickly, Yuuri knew what he had to do next. He had a promise to keep. This would be a retirement party legends were made of. Picking up a glass of champagne from the drink table, Yuuri raised it high above his head.

 

“TO PHICHIT!” he shouted, and downed the glass.

 

And an epic party it was...

 

~~~~~~

 

_September 17, 2055_

 

Celestino had called a meeting for 6:00 pm. It was a little unusual, and Yuuri was curious as to why the need for a group meeting (minus JJ of course, he was rarely included, though Isabella really had softened his rough edges).

 

Viktor, of course, had used it as an excuse to turn it into a party of sorts, and had been cooking for hours. Just for fun about ten years back he’d enrolled himself in a professional cooking course. Which Yuuri, and the rest of their unit, appreciated very, very much.

 

While he helped Viktor set out the food, they chatted idly about where they should take their next vacation. Soon, Mila arrived, followed by Yurio. Six o’clock came and went and still no Celestino.

 

When it passed 7:00 pm they decided to go ahead and eat without Celestino. They’d tried, but failed to get a hold of him. After everyone dished up, the topic of conversation turned to speculation. No one had a hint of why Celestino had called the meeting. Their best guess was that they’d be moving again, but the timing of it was much sooner than usual.

 

As they were finishing up (and Yurio was just starting helping #3), Celestino finally arrived, announced by the barking of their puppy, Midas (don’t blame him, Viktor was going through a _stage_ , obsessed with Greek mythology).

 

They all turned to him and let out a collective gasp at the person he had brought with him.

 

Celestino smiled at them. “I think you all remember Sara?” he said, picking Midas up so he didn’t bother Sara.

 

And sure enough, it was Mila’s old friend Sara, appearing roughly the same age as she was when they first met her. She smiled shakily as Mila got up and ran to embrace her.

 

“Sara???!!! I can’t believe it!!!” Turning to Celestino, she asked to confirm, “She’s been called, then?”

 

Celestino nodded. “Yes, just this morning. Yakov brought her to me, and I’ve been explaining the basics to her. I’ve also talked to her about who her current unit members are, and she remembers you all quite well. She’s still a little shell shocked, understandably. And Mila, you’re to be her mentor.”

 

Viktor was the next to react, getting up and swiftly striding to where they stood. “Come in, come in, and welcome. We were just finishing up dinner, please join us, and grab some food before Yurio eats it all!”

 

“Viktor? I like your hair long like that, it suits you. You look a bit different than I remember you. Less like Fabio.” She wrinkled her nose at the memory.

 

Viktor beamed in response. “Thank you, Sara. I couldn’t wear it long at first, as I was too recognizable so I’ve enjoyed finally being able to have it long.” He led her to the table where Yuuri and Yurio still sat and sat her down beside Mila’s place.

 

They both greeted her and Yuuri got up to fetch a plate and fork while Viktor stood nearby chatting her ear off. Celestino let them chat, playing with Midas instead of getting himself dinner. Honestly, Yuuri thought. The man should just get himself a puppy.

 

Yuuri returned to the table and noted that Mila looked a bit shell shocked herself. Well, he thought, who would have thought that someone they knew would be called? It was weird enough about Viktor. He was happy for Mila though. Sara had been such a close friend, and Mila had had a really hard time leaving her.

 

Phichit...

 

Yuuri sighed. It had been nearly four months and the pain of losing him hadn’t really dulled all that much. This was the price of bonding with someone in this form, he knew. The price reapers paid when they loved, platonically or romantically. They had all experienced pain when Phichit left them, but Yuuri had the closest and strongest bond with Phichit, and felt it most keenly of them all.

 

As if he had sensed Yuuri’s thoughts, Viktor came behind up him and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. The man seriously had a ‘Yuuri radar’.

 

“It’s ok, moy temnyy angel, I know.” He held him tight, like one would soothe a toddler whose emotions were running amok. How appropriate, really. Yuuri knew he really had been like a toddler about the whole thing, tantrum included when Phichit had first told him.

 

They stood there like that for a few minutes, Yuuri riding the wave of emotion until it finally quelled. Viktor, sensing the worst of it had passed loosened his grip and pressed a kiss to the back of Yuuri’s neck.

 

Finally back in the present, Yuuri smiled at how Mila was positively beaming in the presence of her friend. It was so strange how sometimes things came full circle. Maybe one day he would meet Phichit again. Had he been born yet? Or was he able to take a long rest before going to Tir na Beatha? Phichit wouldn’t know him of course, but they had a permanent bond of friendship, so if they met Phichit would probably feel like he’d known Yuuri forever and they’d become fast friends. Not like their bond had anywhere near the power of his and Viktor’s. Nothing could get in the way of the Law of Magnetism - even if he and Viktor hated each other they’d be drawn together forever as enemies. But Yuuri and Phichit would always recognize each other’s souls as something familiar, comforting.

 

The evening passed pleasantly enough, Mila mostly directing the conversation. They learned all about what Sara had been doing for the last 30 years.

 

It was Celestino who brought a close to the evening, saying Sara had experienced enough for the day. As everyone left, Yuuri felt a sense of relief. It had been a very emotional night.

 

He prepared for bed quickly and slid beneath the sheets, though he didn’t actually think he would be able to sleep. There was too much to think about. A couple of minutes later Viktor slid in beside him and held him, a big spoon around his curled form. Midas was already settled in at the bottom of the bed, fast asleep.

 

“Love, wasn’t tonight just wonderful? Not only did we get to see an old friend again, but we got to welcome her into the family!”

 

“Mmm. Mhmm.” Yuuri was still too conflicted to form words for a proper answer.

 

“Yuuri~. I know you’re thinking about Phichit. I know you’re still hurting. And I know you will for a long time. But that’s ok, love. It’s ok to hurt. Phichit was a part of you and to have that part missing is going to hurt. But I want you to think hard about tonight, love. If Mila and Sara can reunite after so many years, what says that you won’t meet Phichit again? One of these days Phichit will be born again. And you’ll recognize his soul. As reapers, we’re so attuned to souls, I’m sure you’ll find him from miles away. He’s not gone love, just moved on to his next adventure.”

 

Viktor hugged him tighter and pressed soft kisses to the back of his head. Yuuri had never felt so safe and loved. They had had a long talk after Phichit’s retirement about their own retirements. And they’d agreed they would do it together, when the first was ready and without question. It was almost 41 years since Viktor had been called, and even though that was a short time in reaper years, their bond was so strong that sometimes it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. If one were to retire independently it would probably destroy the other. It was dangerous, how they had bonded, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

 

He then thought of Viktor and Chris. He realized with shame that he hadn’t supported Viktor as well as he should have. Chris had been his best friend, yet they hadn’t severed ties when Viktor died, and had remained in some sort of weird limbo. Chris was not able to deal with Viktor’s reality and yet the two were so close they couldn’t just walk away from each other.

 

Wow.

 

OMG poor Viktor. Why hadn’t he realized this 40 years ago?

 

His sweet, loving husband had already been through what he was going through right now. Maybe not quite as extreme, but he’d gone through it nonetheless. And he’d never let on - not even a hint of how much it must have pained him. He’d accepted early on that Chris would have to forget, and worked slowly towards that until Yakov had finally done the deed.

 

Yuuri exhaled deeply. His Vitya was totally, utterly and completely amazing. Yuuri felt the need to acknowledge Viktor’s own pain.

 

“And maybe it will be the same with Chris one of these days. He’s what… something like 65 now? When he’s reborn we’ll find him, Vitya.”

 

Viktor hugged him closer. “What will be, will be. But for now, we need our rest so we can be at our best. I, for one, have an assignment tomorrow.”

 

Yuuri relaxed into his embrace, relishing in the warm breaths across his ear as Viktor sank into a deep sleep. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be this connected to another soul; to experience how perfectly two souls could fit together.

 

He let that feeling wash over him and calm the storm of his emotions. He reminded himself that the universe always had a purpose and his was to be the perfect compliment to Viktor. Forevermore they would be there for each other; loving, supporting and fulfilling each other’s needs before they even existed. Yes, Yuuri thought, the universe had it’s purpose. And it _definitely_ knew what it was doing.

 

And, he decided, that was enough. Whatever came, whatever joys, whatever sorrows, they would face them together. The universe always had a purpose, and for them that purpose was to make sure they faced everything together, forever and always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH everyone who has read through to the end. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! It sure was a major project, completing this in less than 2 months while working full time and parenting two very active kids.
> 
> And THANK YOU to everyone who left comments and kudos! The comments are especially appreciated. I very much welcome feedback. Helps me grow as a writer :)
> 
> Phichit's venue (the pics don't do it justice): https://www.hitched.ca/wedding-venues/the-chapel-at-queen-elizabeth-park_347.htm
> 
> Phichit's song: The Calling - "Wherever You Will Go" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP9AF6DCu4 
> 
> I’ve tentatively mapped out the Phichit Files. I have 7 different scenes, but will take requests if anyone has anything they want to see. There is so much (like pages and pages) of this universe that didn’t end up making it into the story. Will try and post it in the next two weeks, but work is going to be very, very busy so we’ll see.
> 
> Also, might be trying another story. Suggestions? Because of my job smut is a no-go, but otherwise I’m open :)  
> idk. Harry Potter? Vampire?


	16. The Phichit Files

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the contents of the file Phichit gave Viktor in 2055 at his retirement. The files are Phichit’s direct memories, downloaded somehow so that Viktor can view them - but they’ll be from Phichit’s perspective, as if he was Phichit himself reliving the moment. I’m assuming that technology will come quite far by then and this is possible. I pictured it kind of like a pensieve from Harry Potter.
> 
> And… this was supposed to be a bit cheerier but recent world events just made things come out a little more melancholy from Phichit’s perspective, but of course he’s old and grumpy - and, perhaps more importantly, remembers better times. Don’t worry though, there are lots of laughs, I promise.
> 
> Last note, sorry for the delay (long chapter to make up for it?) I lost my inspiration due to *reasons* and work has been insanely busy, keeping me occupied on my ‘days off’. But finally, here we are. I’m going to miss this universe a lot. I’ve become rather attached to this version of Viktor and Yuuri.

~~~~~~ Introductions ~~~~~~

 

Viktor got comfortable, leaning against the back of his chair, feet curled under him and Midas happily chewing on a toy at his feet. Yuuri would be gone for a while teaching his dance class, so he figured this was the best opportunity to experience Phichit’s final gift to him.

 

He was more curious than anything; Phichit’s demeanour hadn’t been the mischievous one he had expected to see if it was indeed the infamous blackmail file. He had seemed solemn somehow… though that wasn’t quite the right emotion either.

 

And the other thing that made him curious was that Phichit knew that Viktor had by now collected enough antics of Yuuri’s to have his own blackmail material, so why would he need Phichit’s blackmail file? And why now? If anything, he could have put it to better use 40 years ago.

 

Well, Phichit had decided it was necessary, so it must be something Viktor would want to see. He’d learned a long time ago that Phichit did nothing randomly. Other reapers may get sucked in by Phichit’s sunny disposition, but Viktor knew there was calculation in everything Phichit did.

 

Viktor took a long drink of water from the glass by his side before taking Phichit’s gift in hand, activating it.

 

 

> Phichit was seated at a table, looking down at the implements necessary to capture his memories. He was content, finally, and felt this was the last thing he really needed to do.
> 
>  
> 
> He looked up, staring at a wall, and spoke.
> 
>  
> 
> “Viktor, I could just leave you a letter or even a text to introduce this, but somehow it’s not enough - I want you to know how I’m feeling right now.” Phichit paused, considering, “I think I could just think this speech and you would receive it. But I don’t really trust this device, so I’m just going to talk.”
> 
>  
> 
> “This isn’t really my blackmail file.” He smirked, knowing Viktor would be both a little surprised and disappointed. But he also knew that disappointment wouldn’t last once he viewed everything.
> 
>  
> 
> “It’s been almost 41 years since we met for the first time… although through Yuuri I do feel like I knew you before that.” He paused, laughing. “As much as I could through posters and watching you on TV anyway.”
> 
>  
> 
> He sighed, a mix of nostalgia, sadness and contentment. “First I wanted to say thank you for helping me tell Yuuri about my retirement. We both know that was one of the hardest moments in Yuuri’s existence, both in life and death - Geneva excluded of course.” He paused for almost a minute, “and… maybe it’s a good thing I’m retiring. He has come to rely on me too much when he doesn’t need to. Not like he had to in his first days in the afterlife anyway.”
> 
>  
> 
> Then Phichit’s heart swelled with love and pride as he spoke his next words. “As you know, Yuuri is an amazing soul, and he’s an even more amazing reaper. He has a precious, precious soul that manages to hang on to its innocence no matter what its been through. Take that purity with his determination and skills, and he is what the world needs right now. His deaths give souls the peace that they need, and we can hope that the sense of peace carries with them to their next lives. … So don’t you stop either NIKIFOROV!!! It’s our duty, yes, but also our privilege to care for souls as they return to the wheel. Never stop making things better.”
> 
>  
> 
> Phichit shifted in his seat, realizing he’d gotten off topic a little. But really, who could blame him? Old men were allowed to dally in their daydreams and memories, weren’t they? He had spent much too much time the last century reliving ‘the good old times’.
> 
>  
> 
> He sighed again, trying to regain his focus.
> 
>  
> 
> “Ok, so… _anyway_ … about this file… it has the memories that are most important to me about Yuuri for events that you weren’t present for. As his soulmate, you know everything else about him. But these memories…” Phichit struggled for words. How to explain why these were more precious than others?
> 
>  
> 
> “I guess the best way to put it is that they’re milestones… but also memories that I think provide a good insight into pieces of Yuuri that you haven’t seen yet. And… as his soulmate, you should to know _all_ of Yuuri.”
> 
>  
> 
> “Not that you don’t already,” Phichit said with an evil grin.
> 
>  
> 
> But, before he could tease Viktor further he turned serious again, and continued, “Yuuri is the first true friend I’ve had in the afterlife, Viktor. I hope you understand the significance of that, though I think you will. I know that you will take care of him, and I’ve known that since the start. The fact that you two are made for eachother has been obvious since even before you were called. So I’m trusting him to you, as I have for a while now.”
> 
>  
> 
> Phichit’s expression turned a little dark, an uncharacteristic expression that somehow seemed just as natural. “You’ve met my tests, Nikiforov. Law of Magnetism be damned, I was _NOT_ leaving my best friend in the hands of someone I didn’t trust.”
> 
>  
> 
> Phichit smiled again, confident his message would be received. “So with that in mind, here are my favourite memories of Yuuri; memories that I believe have shaped him and have influenced him. I want you to understand him as I do so you can fully support him in the years to come.”
> 
>  
> 
> “Take care of him for me Viktor, and give him all the love and support that he truly deserves.”

 

An emotion Viktor couldn’t quite identify swept through Viktor then, but Phichit wasn’t quite done.

 

 

> “Until we meet again.”

 

~~~~~~ Welcome to the Afterlife ~~~~~~

 

_March 11, 2011, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Phichit was standing in the corner of Celestino’s office, waiting to meet the new member of their unit. Unlike the usual protocol, they had had a bit of advance notice from Yakov on this one since apparently the new reaper was in the public eye when he was alive, which was a first. They actually didn’t really know how to deal with it - making sure he wasn’t recognized and such. And even more interestingly, Yakov had told them that he knew the man personally.

 

Yuuri Katsuki, 18, figure skater from Japan. Junior World Champion. Now deceased.

 

An unusual choice for the most elite reaper unit, he thought. But then the whole thing was highly unusual. What was so special about Yuuri, he wondered. Well, if the new reaper was expecting celebrity treatment, he was going to be sorely disappointed. Phichit did not suffer fools gladly. He would make sure that Yuuri knew exactly what his role was and what was expected of him. No coddling. No special privileges.

 

He looked over at Celestino who looked faintly nervous. Celestino had mentioned that there had been some last minute ‘issues’, whatever that meant. Phichit just hoped it didn’t interfere with the Rules. Yakov got so cranky when he had to file for an exception. He yawned, glancing at his watch. Any second now…

 

And a few blinks of the eye later, the air in front of Celestino’s closed door shimmered, a sight only a reaper could see. As he watched, the very space seemed to twist, two points coming together and meeting at the same instant, though each fighting to tear themselves away, to retain their original place in space and time.

 

As the points lined up with perfection, Yakov appeared, with his hand on the shoulder of a young Japanese man that had short, raven hair and cinnamon brown eyes.

 

Celestino, ready and apparently anxious for this moment, greeted him immediately. “Hello Yuuri, I’m Celestino, and I’ll be your coach from now on.” He chuckled. “Your coach in all things death, that is...”

 

And before Celestino could say another word of what was probably a pre-rehearsed, over analyzed pre-written script, the newly called reaper gave a new meaning to ‘greenhorn’, having turned green and emptying his stomach across Celestino’s desk, splashing his crisp white linen suit in the process.

 

And it didn’t end there.

 

Nope.

 

He’d never seen someone quite so talented in the art of projectile vomiting before. By the time he was done, there was almost no area in Celestino’s office that was untouched by vomit, including himself and Yakov, who looked distinctly unimpressed.

 

“Katsuki!!! Pull yourself together man!! Enough’s enough!” Yakov roared.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry sir,” Yuuri replied hoarsely, prostrating himself on the floor in a dogeza. He continued to bow and apologize in several different languages before Yakov finally relented.

 

“Ok, that’s enough. I know that this was a shock, and JJ wasn’t easy on you, though all things considered it could have been much worse. Stand up, Katsuki and listen up.”

 

“Yes sir,” Yuuri said automatically following Yakov’s orders. Huh, Phichit thought. At least he could obey orders. He didn’t _seem_ like he was a typical celebrity.

 

“Celestino will take you to your new home and explain in detail what is going on. Phichit is to be your mentor, and he will assist you with your transition. You can trust him absolutely. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean myself up and get back to Viktor. That ass is having some sort of manufactured mental breakdown now that the season is over.

 

And with that, Yakov disappeared, and Phichit and Celestino were left with a very nauseous, and - if looks were anything to go by - very nervous Japanese man.

 

~~~~~~ Death by… 1,000 Paper Cuts? ~~~~~~

 

_April 7, 2011, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Yuuri had already begun showing a keen interest in how Phichit manipulated objects, so Phichit thought it might be a good idea to let him try. He seriously doubted that Yuuri would manage much, if anything, but it would be a good opportunity for him to observe and formulate a training plan based on Yuuri’s style. So he had booked one of the larger rehearsal rooms in the Fine Arts building at Wayne State. Being a professor certainly had its perks, especially when he wanted a larger space for some private practice.

 

Yuuri arrived five minutes early, looking nervously excited and determined at the same time. It hadn’t quite been a month yet, but Yuuri had definitely been changing over the past few weeks. Although he appeared as the same age he was when he had died, to hide his identity he now had long hair, a thick black mantle that reached midway down his back. Although it shouldn’t have been much of a change, between that and no longer wearing glasses, he looked like an entirely different person. Besides, they were in Detroit, and most caucasians thought that all Asian people looked alike. So the chances of him being recognized were pretty low, despite the fact that Detroit was a bit of a figure skating hub.

 

Phichit had planned something that should be fun, and that a beginner should be able to handle. He’d made dozens of paper airplanes and they were scattered on the floor throughout the room. They were light and aerodynamic, so it shouldn’t be that hard to get them airborne. And if too much force was used, then in theory it should just pick up a few more planes. And of course, one could go from using basic skills by just getting the planes airborne, to advanced skills by making each one do tricks independently of each other. It was one of his favourite exercises for new reapers.

 

He explained the exercise to Yuuri, and demonstrated several times by channeling just a tiny amount of energy into a plane and sending it into the air. Having demonstrated what he wanted Yuuri to try, he then told him to step back and he’d show Yuuri what an experienced reaper could do after many, many years of practice.

 

Concentrating, Phichit split his energy into about 20 and directed it to individual planes. Each plane gently ascended, waiting for his next command. Focussing even more, he sent some planes whizzing around the room in lazy circles. Next he sent some in the opposite direction, letting them weave in and out around each other. While the planes settled into a pattern of sorts, he glanced at Yuuri to see that he was absolutely entranced at the display. Good - that would be motivation. He then turned his attention to the remaining planes and sent them into the mix, some doing loops and others diving down dramatically to the floor before climbing steeply into the air, then repeating the dive. Yuuri was absolutely still, but taking in the scene with a smile of wonder. Phichit chuckled internally. The new ones were always so cute - just like children. And they were so easy to impress. He wound things down, slowly bringing the planes down to the floor.

 

“Wow Phichit! THat was AMAZING!!! How long did you have to train to do that?”

 

“Only a few decades. So not long, but it does take some time.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes were bugging out of his head. “Only…a few....” he said softly, looking confused. Oh right, Phichit thought. Yuuri didn’t yet know how long some of them stayed in the afterlife before choosing to retire.

 

“Yup!” Phichit said brightly. “You know that reapers _can_ retire after 50 years, but there are lots that decide to continue on after that. Some reapers are hundreds of years old. And I’ve heard that there are even reapers over 1000.” Yuuri’s eyes were _really_ bugging out of his head now.

 

Oh, Phichit thought. Better not mention his own age. That might be a little too much for Yuuri right now.

 

“Oh… um, oh, ok. I can see that a few decades isn’t really a long time then. Well… should I try it now?”

 

“That’s what we’re here for!” Phichit answered merrily. “Ok, so pick an airplane, and channel just a touch of energy into it, just like you saw me do the first time.”

 

“Ok… I think I’ve got this…” Yuuri turned his attention to the closest plane nearby and cautiously sent out a tendril of energy.

 

...too cautiously. Nothing happened.

 

“Ok, just put a little more into it Yuuri. Don’t worry, there’s nothing you can harm here.”

 

Yuuri just nodded in response, not wanting to break his focus. As Phichit watched Yuuri slowly increased the amount of energy he was funneling into the plane. Wow… he thought. Yuuri had an incredible amount of control. Most reapers at 50 years didn’t have such a tight reign on the amount of energy they released. Then again, it was Phichit’s constant complaint that reapers these days had no finesse; they just expected the assignment would complete itself with little to no effort. Most of them had lost the artform that used to be the trademark of their kind.

 

He turned his attention back to Yuuri, who had now successfully elevated the plane about three feet above the ground. The new reaper was grinning from ear to ear, clearly proud of his results - as he well should be. Phichit was a little stunned by Yuuri’s efforts.

 

“Wow, Yuuri!!! That’s amazing!!! I don’t think I‘ve ever seen someone be able to do that on their first try! Ok, put it down, and let’s try again.”

 

They practised on the one plane for a bit, Yuuri elevating it higher and higher and bringing it down to the ground in a controlled landing. Once Phichit was sure that Yuuri had that down, he had him try moving the plane around the room. That proved to be absolutely no challenge, so Phichit started calling out random instructions on various tricks - loops, spiral dives, vertical ascents… and Yuuri got them all.

 

… Amazing, he thought. How was this even possible? He’d never seen a reaper with so much innate skill. Even Phichit, who was #1, hadn’t been able to perform this skill to the level Yuuri was demonstrating for over a decade after he was called.

 

He glanced over at Yuuri fondly. He had originally been so worried about having a (former) celebrity in their midst, but Yuuri had smashed through his preconceived notions pretty much immediately. He was such a precious thing, it was impossible not to want to mentor him in the true sense of the word. In the short time they’d been together, Phichit had found himself not just going through the motions, but truly trying to nurture Yuuri - imparting not just his knowledge of skills, but also his philosophy as a reaper. Sometimes he fancied it was almost like a ruler training their successor. There were so many values that had been lost through the years. Today’s reapers didn’t remember the sacred position that they’d been known for by the living in centuries past. The reapers of the present day didn’t value souls in the same way that reapers used to. It seemed now it was just a job; not a sacred duty that they had the honour to fulfill. No, reapers these days did not understand the importance of how a soul was handled. It was true that as long as they got the job done, the soul wouldn’t suffer; however, the more swift and easy the passage, the better the soul would adjust to Tir Bheannaithe and its new life to come. They had the opportunity to _improve_ the soul’s circumstances, and Phichit believed that it was their duty to do so whenever possible.

 

Something JJ needed to be reminded of apparently. But he would deal with that later. Right now, he needed to focus on Yuuri - and it was time for a challenge, he thought excitedly.

 

“Ok, Yuuri, that’s good for now, so just put the plane down. Now you’re going to try controlling more than one at once. Do you think you’re up to it?”

 

Yuuri grinned at him, practically vibrating with excitement. “Definitely!!!”

 

“Right. I’ll show you again - watch carefully then you can try.”

 

After another demonstration, Yuuri took a turn. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t do it at first, but Phichit hadn’t actually thought that he’d be able to do it at all. He first was able to get two in the air, and after practicing splitting his energy, he tried more until he had a total of five. Phichit was astonished.

 

Then, while Yuuri had the five planes doing lazy circles, his brand new iPhone 4 pinged with a notification. Yuuri looked down at it at and mumbled to himself, unlocking his phone. Phichit sighed internally. He still didn’t really get this smartphone trend - all it seemed to accomplish was to distract people from what was right in front of them.

 

Yuuri suddenly shrieked, letting out waves of energy as he lost the focus he had been maintaining on the paper planes. He tried to reel it back in, but was unsuccessful. Instead somehow he managed to grab almost all of the remaining planes and launch them into the air.

 

WTF?

 

It happened so fast Phichit wasn’t entirely sure what Yuuri had done wrong. But looking over, the man was clearly on the verge of a panic attack, and started trying to run away from the planes that were hovering in the air.

 

Oh no, Phichit thought. He knew what was going to happen next. “Yuuri!!! Calm down, try to breathe!!! No!!! Don’t run!! Just stay still and let go of the planes.” But he was too late.

 

He decided to back into a corner just as a plane flew past his nose. Whew! Not a moment too soon. He turned his head to focus on Yuuri who was now sprinting around the room erratically, trying to outrun the planes.

 

“Phichit!!! HELP ME!!!!” Yuuri screamed. All of the planes had focussed in on him and were chasing him down, gaining speed the longer it went on. Phichit shook his head. Yuuri didn’t seem to realize that as the source of the energy, the planes were honed in on him. He hadn’t severed the ties, so it was as if the planes were on individual strings, tying themselves back to Yuuri.

 

Now Yuuri was completely consumed by panic, not even able to scream for help anymore. He finally collapsed on the floor, hands covering his head while the planes bumped against his head and back gently, as if they were a bunch of puppies looking for a pat.

 

Phichit stayed in his corner for a moment, trying to recover from the laughter threatening to overwhelm him. It had been one of the funniest things he had ever seen a new reaper do, but he didn’t think the poor panicked man in front of him would be able to see the humour in the situation. Not yet anyway.

 

Seeing the planes start to lose some altitude, Phichit figured it was safe to approach. He knelt by Yuuri, slowly rubbing his hand over Yuuri’s back in circles, talking softly and encouragingly until he could tell the panic had dissipated. He instructed Yuuri carefully on putting the planes down and releasing his energy, and finally things were calm again.

 

“Thanks, Phichit! That scared the hell out of me! I just couldn’t seem to get them to stop chasing me.”

 

“That’s because you didn’t release your energy Yuuri - or tie it off either, though that’s something I haven’t shown you yet. If you don’t do either, when you stop directing an object, it will automatically be drawn to you.”

 

“Oh.” He was silent a moment, frowning. Then his frown cleared and he looked up. “Ok, I think I get it now. I can remember the moment that I stopped actively directing them and yeah, I didn’t release them either. Makes sense that they would just follow me.”

 

Phichit looked at him curiously. “So, what on earth did you see on your phone that caused you to lose control like that?”

 

Yuuri turned beet red. _Flaming_ red. “Oh… I… uh… it was nothing.”

 

“YUUUUUUUURRRRIIII. As your mentor I need to know what kinds of things distract you. I need to help you learn to get beyond them so you don’t lose focus when it counts the most.”

 

Yuuri was staring down at the ground, and Phichit swore it looked like Mr. Goody Two Shoes was contemplating lying to him.

 

“The truth, Yuuri.”

 

“Ok,” Yuuri sighed. Still not meeting Phichit’s eye, he finally said in a low voice, “There’s a rumour that Viktor’s dating this super model and it, um, well, I was just surprised by it is all.”

 

This time Phichit couldn’t hold in his laughter, it tumbled out of him with such force that he fell from his position kneeling beside Yuuri. “Oh that’s _fantastic_ Yuuri. Do you honestly mean to tell me that your _crush_ on this skater guy caused you to lose focus to the point where you gave your best impression of a scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds”!!!???!!?”

 

Yuuri punched him on the shoulder. “SHUT UP. We will never speak of this again Phichit Chulanont. NEVER. And it’s not a crush!”

 

“Is too!”

 

“Is not!!!” Yuuri stuck his tongue out at him and this time both men dissolved in a fit of laughter.

 

Oh, Yuuri, Phichit thought. You really are the most precious cinnamon roll ever to exist.

 

~~~~~~ There’s Only Room for One Yu(u)ri ~~~~~

 

_May 5, 2011, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

They had just arrived home from a successful assignment. It had been pretty far away, and while they could have driven, Phichit had decided that they should teleport to give Yuuri more experience. Which… he was going to have to do more often. Phichit sighed. Yuuri had run off to the bathroom first thing and was busy puking his guts out. He hadn’t actually stopped vomiting since they had first teleported to the location - in fact, he’d been so busy throwing up that he hadn’t even observed the reap.

 

While they had been gone Yuri Plisetsky, another unit member, had shown up for their weekly gaming session. It was rather confusing, having two Yu(u)ri’s, especially since Yuri had been showing up more often once he’d learned Yuuri was an avid gamer. Huh. They’d have to do something about that - a nickname or something. Yuri usually called Yuuri ‘Katsudon’ after his favourite dish, but that didn’t seem quite right to Phichit. For whatever reason, it just didn’t feel right to call Yuuri by any sort of nickname… he was just _Yuuri_.

 

With a typical huff of irritation, Yuri sprung up from the couch and ran upstairs after Yuuri. Oh, this could be bad, Phichit thought, Yuri looked downright angry. The last thing that Yuuri needed right now was to be further antagonized by Yuri. He decided he’d better follow, just to be sure that Yuri wasn’t out of line.

 

Yuuri had been with them for not even two months, and he was having a difficult transition, thanks to JJ and his delusions of grandeur that lead to Yuuri experiencing a death that was completely at odds with his personality and had made his soul struggle (though all the unit members had secretly vowed to only speak of Yuuri’s death as magnificent so he wouldn’t dwell on it and cause himself further hurt). Even so, Phichit could see why he’d been placed in their unit. He was picking up skills with a speed he’d never seen before, even if the results of these early attempts were absolutely hilarious. But still, at this point he’d never known a reaper that was even ready to try using their skills so early, never mind demonstrating some success. He had to make sure that Yuri didn’t undermine the scant confidence that Yuuri had managed to attain.

 

When he arrived, he couldn’t help the long-suffering sigh that slipped out. Of course, Yuri was in the middle of yelling at poor Yuuri, who was still dry heaving over the toilet.

 

“How the hell can you _STILL_ be puking?!!! What the hell kind of reaper are you if you can’t even handle a simple teleport???!!!! We don’t need two Yuri’s in the same unit!!!! I don’t want anyone to mistake me for a moron like you!!! Yakov should just retire incompetents like you already!” And with that said, Yuri tried to leave, but Phichit blocked his path.

 

He’d had enough of Yuri’s nonsense. It was ridiculous to expect more from a reaper who wasn’t even two months past his call. Later he would have to remind Yuri of his early days. But for now, he knew exactly how to put him in his place, and as the senior, he had every right to.

 

“You’re right Yuri, we don’t need two Yuri’s in the same unit - it’s too confusing! So from now on you’ll be called Yurio!” Phichit decreed with a cheerful grin on his face, successfully masking his anger. He knew that Yuri would take having the nickname instead of Yuuri as an insult.

 

“What??!!! SHUT UP!!! That’s not my name! If anyone had to take a nickname, it should be that incompetent piggy who’s puking his guts out!”

 

Phichit glanced over at Yuuri, who by this time seemed to have his stomach under control. He was wide eyed and alarmed, eyes flitting back and forth between him and Yuri. He looked like he was about to apologize, which Phichit needed to forestall - the whole point of this was to ensure that Yuuri would not think himself to be in any way inferior to Yuri. Phichit was not going to let _anything_ get in the way of Yuuri’s potential.

 

“Hmmmm… nope. My decision is made and it’s final. I’ll let Celestino know and he’ll change the official records,” Phichit responded, not letting his grin falter in the slightest.

 

With a snarl worthy of the smol angry kitten he was, Yuri whipped around, clattered down the stairs and slammed the door as he left. Satisfied with how he had dealt with Yurio, Phichit turned to Yuuri, softening his grin to offer the other man reassurance.

 

“Don’t mind Yurio, Yuuri. He always acts angry, but he recovers pretty quickly. I think, truthfully, he’s a little intimidated of you.”

 

“Of me???? Why on earth would he be intimidated by me? I’m pathetic and weak and can’t even handle a simple teleport!”

 

Phichit chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh Yuuri, you have no idea the potential you have. It’s not even been two months yet, you need to stop being so hard on yourself! Yurio hadn’t even started learning reaper skills until about eight months after his call. And everyone has their strengths and weaknesses - it just means it will take you a little longer to get used to teleporting. But don’t worry, I’ll make arrangements with Celestino for you to practice without there being an assignment and you’ll get used to it in no time.”

 

Apparently the word ‘practice’ was what Yuuri needed to hear. He smiled hesitantly. “Thank you Phichit, I think more practice is exactly what I need.”

 

~~~~~~ #1 Viktor Stan ~~~~~~

 

_June 14, 2011, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Phichit was home when the delivery truck arrived. He’d answered the door and had been handed boxes upon boxes of something from Russia. For Yuuri. Although he could read cyrillic, it didn’t help him in this case. The packages were strangely anonymous.

 

So what was his shy, anxious roommate up to? This seemed a little strange, even for Yuuri.

 

Sighing to himself, he dutifully trudged up and down the stairs to deliver the packages the Yuuri’s room. He still hadn’t decided whether he’d allow the other man his privacy about the contents of those mysterious boxes. It was… a little weird. And Phichit wasn’t quite comfortable enough with the new reaper to let it go.

 

It was true that Yuuri had been nothing like he’d expected. He thought he was going to have to take care of some pampered princess who had no idea what hard, grinding work was. And someone who would complain about living relatively modestly (Phichit had splurged on the townhouse, but he was extremely thrifty when it came to other expenses).

 

But no. Instead Yuuri was this sweet little soul who was strong beyond belief and a hard and determined worker, yet who was riddled with anxiety and had no sense of his own value. It was an interesting study in contrasts, this Yuuri. When his determination won over his anxiety, his strength shone through and there was clearly no reaper who could be his equal. When Yuuri was focussed, he dominated everything that he attempted. But then the evil beast that was Yuuri’s self doubt would shine through and his anxiety would take over, oftentimes reducing Yuuri to a quivering mass. Phichit couldn’t imagine what had happened to Yuuri to make him doubt himself so much… but then again, sometimes humans were just born that way. He had seen it a lot over the years, and it always made him sad for those souls who were tormented by illnesses of the mind while in Tir na Beatha. Especially since humans didn’t seem to realize that these mental ailments were really no different than physical ones. Harder to quantify perhaps, harder to understand if you didn’t have the power to see into someone’s mind as reapers did, but no different. They were both illnesses and should be treated as such.

 

With that thought in mind, Phichit realized what he needed to do as Yuuri’s mentor. This problem, Yuuri’s anxiety, was a _human_ problem. It wasn’t a part of Yuuri’s soul - it was an illness he had suffered as a result of being human. While he’d be influenced by his experiences in his last life, his reaper afterlife was not limited by the same constraints or illnesses as his human form. What Phichit needed to do was remind Yuuri of the very essence of his soul. Yuuri needed to let go of the final strings that were tying him to the human world and then his soul would finally be free of this shadow of the illness he had suffered in life.

 

Phichit sighed. That would take some time, he thought, and a lot of work. Although, Yuuri could surprise him. The man was incredibly dedicated the moment anything was framed as ‘training’. But that attachment to skating… that was the key to breaking the final hold, and Phichit didn’t understand enough about it to even guess at how to help Yuuri through it. But… everything would eventually come clear through the passage of time. He just needed to be persistent and give it time. The centuries that had passed had taught him that much.

 

He dismissed the thought and went back to his book, waiting for Yuuri to return with groceries and wondering what they would do for dinner. Neither really were great at cooking.

 

When Yuuri arrived home shortly after, Phichit went to the entrance, taking some of the bags to carry to the kitchen. As he walked he said over his shoulder, “Oh, a bunch of boxes arrived for you earlier - I took them up to your room. No idea who they’re from though.”

 

Phichit hadn’t even completed his sentence when Yuuri rushed by him, having abandoned the remaining bags at the front door.

 

“Thanks Phichit!” he called as he bounded up the stairs to his room. “I’ll just check them out and I’ll be back in a bit for dinner.”

 

Shrugging, Phichit carried on, putting the groceries away and grabbing the ones that Yuuri had left by the door.

 

Having finished, Phichit became curious since Yuuri still hadn’t appeared. Unable to stifle his curiosity, he made his way to Yuuri’s room to see what his roomie was up to.

 

He knocked on the door and opened it, announcing his presence with a bright cheery “Hey Yuuri, what’s up?” The first thing he saw when he walked in the room was Yuuri standing on his bed, stretched up and pinning something on the wall. Oh… he looked around. Those boxes seemed to contain  _even more_ posters.

 

Yuuri turned around. “Oh, hey Phichit. I’m just decorating a bit, you know like we talked about before.”

 

Phichit held onto his mirth desperately, taking a couple deep breaths to stifle the laughter threatening to bubble over. “Oh, yes, of course Yuuri. I told you, this is your home now too, so you should make your room as homey as possible. So… uh, posters, huh? Lots, and lots of posters?”

 

Yuuri hummed, deep in concentration as he finished putting up the poster _just so_. “Yeah, I measured the walls and everything so I got just enough to cover. It will be just like my room at home when I’m done!” He rolled his eyes. “And I know what you’re thinking - there were a lot of boxes for posters. But it’s not _just_ posters - there’s other merch here too.” Finished with the poster he was working on he turned around to pick up another one. Frowning, he continued, “But I was a little ticked off. They were all sold out of the limited edition dakimakura I wanted.”

 

“Oh, uh, ok.” Phichit paused, not really sure what a dakimakura was. “While you’re finishing up I’ll scrounge something for dinner and call you when it’s ready.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Yuuri responded absently, already lining up the next poster. “Just put that frozen lasagna in the oven. I should be done by then.”

 

“On it!” Phichit left him to his ‘decorating’ and went to start dinner.

 

A little later he pulled out the lasagna and put it on the dining table along with the store bought salad Yuuri had picked up. Since Yuuri still hadn’t emerged he figured he had better go get him. He was starting to learn that Yuuri could get hyper focused on things and lose track of time.

 

He entered into Yuuri’s room to find that that was indeed the case. Yuuri was sitting on the middle of his bed staring at his walls with a look of satisfaction on his face. Phichit glanced around, wondering what had Yuuri so spellbound.

 

His mouth dropped open. They were all of the same person. That skater guy what’s-his-face. This was… quite a collection. Oh, he was going to have fun teasing Yuuri _endlessly_ about his little crush.

 

“So Yuuri!” he said loudly, making the other man jump. “I see you’re quite the fan of…”

 

“Viktor. Viktor Nikiforov. I’ve only told you that a million times Phichit.”

 

“Uh huh. Well, my dear Viktor Nikiforov _stan_ I just wanted to let you know that dinner’s ready. If you can tear yourself away from your crush, that is.”

 

“PHICHIT!!! It’s NOT a crush. I simply admire a fellow skater. He’s the one that inspired me to work so hard, you know.”

 

‘Uh huh.” Phichit wasn’t even going to pretend this was something it wasn’t. “Ok, Mr. ‘I simply admire a fellow skater’ but have my walls covered in posters of him half naked and _**clearly not skating**_ , I’m not falling for that weak rationalization. But - “ he waved his hand as Yuuri tried to argue, “none of my business. Dinner is and it’s getting cold, so it’s time to come out of your Viktor shrine and let’s eat!”

 

Phichit only half listened as Yuuri tried to sputter arguments as they went downstairs.

 

He was going to have to take some pictures the next time Yuuri went out. This was simply too good an opportunity to pass up. He knew as blackmail material it would come in handy one day. He giggled to himself internally, yes, he thought, this could be fun!

 

~~~~~~ Triple (K)lutz ~~~~~~

 

_September 2, 2011, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Phichit woke up more excited than his friend. As he joined Yuuri in the kitchen, Phichit noticed that it looked like a touch of his anxiety was back. Not like it had been months ago, but he definitely had more going on than just ordinary nerves.

 

But Phichit was so proud of him. He had mentored many, many reapers in his over 2,000 years, but none were like Yuuri. Yuuri’s soul was so pure and so strong. He had never seen such strength before… now if he could just get Yuuri to accept how strong he really was. His lack of confidence was the only thing holding him back. Phichit smiled affectionately. Really, to him, Yuuri was still a baby. He had years to help Yuuri grow into himself. He wasn’t worried, he knew that he could help Yuuri reach his true potential. And when that happened, Phichit would lose his rank as number 1 reaper - a rank he’d held for 1,956 years.

 

And then, maybe...

 

Maybe when that happened, he thought. Maybe then he could let himself retire. He was so tired, a lethargy having crept up on him the last hundred years or so. He tried, but it was so hard to rouse himself these days, nearly impossible to find the determination and enthusiasm that he saw in Yuuri. He could still rouse himself enough to find joy in the day to day moments in his life with Yuuri… but his reaps… the determination, the sense of _rightness_ that he could see Yuuri had… he’d lost it somewhere among the years. It was ironic, he thought - although he was Yuuri’s mentor, Yuuri was helping him learn some very important things about himself as well. So maybe… after he’d fulfilled his responsibilities to Yuuri as his mentor, maybe ...maybe then he could finally rest.

 

Pushing his thoughts aside, he focused back on the here and now. Yuuri was going to complete his first assignment today, which was incredible. And it was less than six months since he’d become a reaper, which Phichit knew from Yakov was a record. For some, it was a few years before they were ready to go out on their own. But Yuuri never did anything by halves; when faced with a challenge he threw himself into it, giving everything of himself and then some until he accomplished his goal.

 

This one would be easy though. Really, it didn’t get much simpler, so Yuuri needn’t be so anxious. The assignment was going for a hike in an area known for its steep hills and cliffs. It was the simplest of matters to make sure he stumbled and fell over the side. It was good to start off so easy though, it would help build Yuuri’s confidence.

 

He greeted Yuuri and got his breakfast, noting that they were almost out of the pre-made smoothies they got from the up-market grocery. As he downed his breakfast he thought idly that maybe they should try one of those meal delivery places that sold ‘homemade’ meals you just stuck in the oven. Might be better quality than the ones at the store.

 

“Phichit are you done yet?” Yuuri’s voice was steady, Phichit was happy to note.

 

“Yup, ready when you are!”

 

They left the townhouse, having to drive a few hours to get to the location. It wasn’t quite remote enough to justify using their pendants to teleport, though it would have been much easier than driving. But Yuuri wanted to drive, not wanting to risk feeling too sick when they got to the location. Phichit had to agree, Yuuri was still a mess after teleporting.

 

They arrived at a parking lot that was at the head of the trail the assignment would be hiking. Yuuri had planned it so they’d be there an hour early, just in case there were issues with traffic (though they could, of course, still teleport if they had to). Grabbing the lunches they had brought, they ate while they waited for the subject. The plan was they’d start up the trail slightly behind him, making themselves unseen.

 

Sure enough, about 20 minutes before the appointment time, the assignment arrived and started up the trail. They followed at a short distance. Phichit kept an eye on Yuuri, but he thought there was no need. He was focussed, his jaw set and certainty gleaming in his eyes.

 

About two minutes before the appointed time, Yuuri jogged ahead of the assignment, with Phichit close on his heels, scouting out the location to finalize his plan. Phichit met his eye and Yuuri nodded, apparently having decided on what to do.

 

He mentally counted down as he watched Yuuri, who looked hyper focussed on the assignment. At exactly 30 seconds before the assigned time, the man was about 10 feet in front of them, and positioned perfectly by the abrupt edge of the cliff. Phichit felt Yuuri reach out with his mind, sensing his intent to make the man trip.

 

At that exact moment, a bird cried out, sudden and loud in what had been very silent surroundings. Startled out of his extreme focus, Yuuri looked up, jumping at the same time.

 

Oh no, Phichit thought. “Yuuri, focus!”

 

But Yuuri hadn’t yet let go of his control of the subject’s legs. Turning back to the assignment frantically, Yuuri acted on what must have been years of ingrained muscle memory. He propelled the man into the air, his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms crossed at the chest.

 

Then one… two... three times the man spun in the air before missing his landing and toppling down the cliff, breaking his neck as he hit the ground.

 

**Assignment complete.**

 

Phichit turned to Yuuri, his eyes wide in disbelief. “What the hell was that Yuuri????!!!!????”

 

Yuuri was bright red and looked extremely sheepish.

 

“Um… it was a lutz. A… um… triple lutz actually.”

 

Phichit shook his head as he burst out laughing. It didn’t really matter how it happened, as long as the assignment was completed. But this was not something he was going to let Yuuri live down. Not for a long, long time.

 

~~~~~~ Zombie Yuuri ~~~~~~

 

_April 1, 2012, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Phichit yawned, looking blearily around the kitchen. It was 4:00 am which was much too early to be up. But he had an assignment, and work was work, so there he was, trying desperately to wake up as he held his coffee close to his nose in the hope that the bitter aroma would help wake him up.

 

Yuuri had insisted on having this weird party the night before to watch the World Figure Skating Championships. They’d invited the other unit members and Yurio and Mila had each brought a friend. Quite frankly, Phichit thought the whole idea was a little weird - who has a party to sit around and watch figure skating? But it had turned out ok. Most of their group was involved in performing arts somehow, and skating was close enough that they didn’t seem bothered by watching it.

 

But what had been the highlight of the evening was drunk Yuuri’s passionate commentary. Of course the reapers understood what it was about, and luckily their human friends just passed it off as a combination of alcohol and Yuuri being a fan.

 

Phichit was still a little worried about Yuuri’s anxiety and how he couldn’t seem to let go of skating. Granted, he wasn’t near the anxious little bean that he had been a year ago, but it was still something Phichit was working on. And anything to do with figure skating seemed to undo all the work they had done.

 

At least his ‘precious’ Viktor had won. Phichit couldn’t imagine how Yuuri would have reacted if Viktor hadn’t won gold. And it was a close thing too, as Viktor had obviously injured himself in the beginning of the freeskate, and Yuuri had been extremely worried he wouldn’t be able to finish his program. But he had, and had pulled it together enough to win yet another gold medal. Tonight was supposed to be the exhibition skate, but Yuuri had already announced he didn’t need to watch it since Viktor wouldn’t be skating in it - there had been a press announcement stating that, but no further information on Viktor’s injury or how he was doing. He took a deep breath, waking up in a hurry, realizing what that meant.

 

Yuuri must be anxious. Like REALLY anxious. Like human illness anxious. And they’d gone to bed very, very late. And Phichit wouldn’t be there when he woke up. And Yuuri knew Phichit wouldn’t be there.

 

Yuuri would be both extremely tired AND anxious.

 

Ergo, Zombie Yuuri would be making an appearance any second now. Zombie Yuuri seemed to know the time and everything that was going on around him no matter what was going on with conscious/ unconscious Yuuri. And Zombie Yuuri would know Phichit had to leave within minutes.

 

Phichit scrambled to finish getting ready, gathering his stuff in record time and stuffing it in the car, hoping to avoid Zombie Yuuri. He was not chancing his timing on public transit with this one. It was too early.

 

As he went back in to get the remnants of his breakfast and coffee, his realized it was too late. Zombie Yuuri was holding his coffee hostage, an evil gleam in his glazed eyes. Shit, Phichit thought. Getting out of this was not going to be easy, even if he left without his coffee.

 

He approached Yuuri slowly, with a wide innocent look on his face and taking care to look non-threatening. “Yuuri, bestie, you should be sleeping!”

 

Yuuri just grunted. “No.Coffee.For.You.”

 

Ok, he was going to play it that way.

 

“That’s ok, Yuuri, I can get something on the way.”

 

“NO. Phichit stay home. Phichit sleep. Yuuri sleep. Yuuri and Phichit have coffee and breakfast later.”

 

Oh, this was new, Phichit thought. Usually Zombie Yuuri would just turn off lights or alarms and grunt incoherently. Occasionally there would be a word or two, but nothing like this. This is the first time Zombie Yuuri had actually actively tried to communicate, never mind hold a back and forth conversation. He must be really anxious. It was a little hilarious that he sounded like some sort of ape man. Not the time to laugh, he reminded himself. Ugh, these days he sometimes had trouble taking things as seriously as he should. He reminded himself that he couldn’t miss the assignment, Zombie Yuuri or not.

 

“Ok, Yuuri, Phichit is going to step out for a bit, then Phichit will come back to bed and sleep really, really late. And then Phichit and Yuuri will get up and eat breakfast together. … does that sound ok Yuuri?” He eyed Yuuri nervously, not sure how the other would react and if he’d let him leave or actually try to physically hold him back.

 

Then before his eyes, Zombie Yuuri seemed to crumble, shoulders folding in on himself and falling to the ground with some inhumane grace, managing to kneel perfectly despite everything.

 

“Phichit will make it ok. Phichit will tell Yuuri everything is ok. Phichit is best friend. Yuuri will wait for Phichit. But NO alarms.” Yuuri then gave him a beatific smile, the tension flowing out of him, as he sat there obediently like he was waiting for Phichit to give him some sort of order.

 

Ugh… ok. This was… weird. He was bewildered, completely unsure what to do, and still trying his hardest not to laugh at the man/child/ape in front of him.

 

“Ok, Yuuri, Phichit will make it ok,” he agreed, not sure what he was supposed to ‘make ok’. “Phichit would be happiest if Yuuri waited for Phichit upstairs in his bed,” he continued, trying his best at the ape-speak for lack of any better ideas. “Phichit will sleep too and will wake up when Yuuri is ready for breakfast.” Ok, he was at a total loss of what to say now. But Zombie Yuuri seemed to be responding.

 

Zombie Yuuri nodded sagely at him (WTF????) and rose up with that enviable elegance he carried everywhere, then, leaving Phichit’s coffee on the counter, he resolutely climbed up the stairs. He paused as he reached the top, turning back to Phichit, and gazed down intensely.

 

“Phichit will do good on his assignment and come back to Yuuri. But no alarms.” Then, with a satisfied nod, Yuuri ambled off to his room, leaving Phichit standing there holding his coffee wondering what the FUCK just happened.

 

“I’m too old for this,” he grumbled as he grabbed his leftover breakfast and coffee headed out the door. Though at least Zombie Yuuri was good for humour value… after the fact.

 

~~~~~~ How to Create a Paragon ~~~~~~

 

_October 18, 2014, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Phichit returned to the ice cream, finding Yuuri curled up on the couch, assignment in hand and staring intently. He waited patiently a few minutes while Yuuri finished his research… and whatever else he was doing.

 

When Yuuri finally looked up, he spoke. “So, what kind of deep dark secrets did you find, Yuuri?” Phichit teased.

 

“I was NOT doing that!” Yuuri retorted, face going red. “I’m a professional, Phichit, I would never do that unless I had to for the assignment. You should know that. And I would DEFINITELY not look into Viktor’s private thoughts or memories.”

 

“Uh huh. You expect me to believe that you, Viktor fan extraordinaire would _not_ take advantage of the situation and get to know him better? And it does NOT take that long to do simple research.” Phichit had long since realized that calling Yuuri a ‘Viktor stan’ would lead to all sorts of trouble… but seriously, it was the truth. He’d felt like Viktor had been haunting his own existence for over three years now. Yuuri just couldn’t seem to separate himself from the man.

 

“Of course I wasn’t taking advantage! Give me some credit. I’m not some creepy stalker.”

 

“Umm… Yuuri, you’ve seen your room, right?”

 

“Oh hush. There’s nothing wrong with a few posters. So _anyway_ , let’s get back on topic. What I _was_ doing was research into not just what he plans to do this time, but what his routine has been at other competitions.”

 

Phichit just laughed, letting his best friend get away the topic change. He knew better, but now wasn’t the time to push it. In fact, never could he even have imagined that Viktor would cross their path. “Ok, so, what did you find that’s useful?”

 

“Ok, well what is relevant is that Viktor always has breakfast with Christophe if they’re in the same competition. If not, he usually still goes down really early before any others get there. But if Christophe is there he tends to stick to one certain routine.

 

“Ok, then what?”

 

“Well, that’s where this is a bit different. Normally the hotels don’t allow dogs, but this one does, so he’s brought along his dog which is highly unusual. What I read from him is that tomorrow, first thing, he’s taking his dog downstairs to the groomers, and while they’re working on him he’ll have breakfast with Chris.”

 

“-Chris?”

 

“Yeah, sorry, Christophe. I know him a little. Anyway, then he’s planning to ask Chris on a walk after breakfast, bringing Makka.”

 

“Makka…?”

 

“ _Honestly_ , Phichit!!! That’s Viktor’s dog. You should know that by know, at least from my fanboy days.”

 

Phichit rolled his eyes, thinking that maybe the obsession had lessened a bit, but Yuuri would ALWAYS be a fanboy. Hopefully this assignment would go ok. Yuuri’s existence seemed so tied to this Viktor that Phichit was a little worried about how he’d cope when it was done. He wasn’t worried about the assignment itself though. Yuuri would never condemn Viktor’s soul to what he knew would happen after an unsuccessful assignment.

 

“So _anyway_ , he’ll be walking along busy streets.”

 

“Oh! That’s super easy then!”

 

“Oh yeah, it totally is. But… I need to make this one special.”

 

“So you said…”

 

“So I was thinking… It would be easy to turn Viktor into a hero.”

 

“Um… come again?”

 

Yuuri looked at Phichit, eyes bright with both enthusiasm and certainty. “So this is how it will go down… they’ll be walking Makka as Viktor originally planned. Then approaching the assigned time they’ll come to an intersection. Chris will be deeply involved in the conversation and not notice that the light is red and he’ll start to cross.” Yuuri paused, obviously expecting a reaction.

 

“Ok, and then what?” Phichit played along, wanting to encourage Yuuri’s enthusiasm so he didn’t focus on what it was he actually had to do.

 

Yuuri looked at him, pausing dramatically and Phichit let himself get pulled into Yuuri’s performance, on the edge of his seat and wondering how this would be resolved.

 

“Viktor will dash out into traffic and throw Chris back - with help from me, of course - but then get hit by the speeding vehicle that had been aimed at Chris. And just like that, he died saving Chris so he’s a hero. It lives up to his image, and letting him go like that should bring him a special kind of peace since he’s saved his best friend. He’ll always be known not just for his skating, but for his ultimate unselfish act.”

 

Yuuri nodded to himself, his face slightly flushed. “It’s perfect, really. He’ll always be known as a legend. And loved for not just what he’s done in skating, but for the values he had while living.”

 

Phichit smiled affectionately at his best friend. He should have known that Yuuri would handle this perfectly. And yes, he was right. It was perfect for Viktor and Viktor’s soul. He doubted Viktor would even realize he had died when the time came; instead he would just transition to Tir Beannaithe immediately. He was so proud of his best friend - Yuuri took his job taking care of souls so seriously, and his reaps were so peaceful. It was a joy knowing how much peace he’d given to those that had returned to the wheel.

 

… perhaps someday that peace would make a difference in the world they occupied, which was currently consumed with hate. Phichit’s smile faded as he recollected the past and saw the point that humanity was now tipped upon. Please, he thought, he implored, let us make a difference in how these souls are reborn…

 

But the universe had Yuuri, and Yuuri was a light that shined through the darkness. If anyone could be the instrument of the universe to turn this around, it would be Yuuri. And if not… well, Phichit knew that would be the will of the universe. But regardless of the future the universe had planned for humans, he knew Yuuri would be soothing souls as best he could.

 

~~~~~~ Yuuri’s Dirty Little Secret ~~~~~~

 

_October 25, 2014, Detroit, MI, USA_

 

Celestino had finished briefing Viktor, and the four of them were hanging out in the living room chatting - Celestino had already left. Phichit was about to suggest they turn on the game system, when suddenly Yuuri jumped up, mid sentence and ran up the stairs as fast as he could.

 

Oh, Phichit thought, Yuuri must have remembered the posters. It had occurred to Phichit as soon as Yuuri had returned with Viktor in tow, but we hadn’t warned Yuuri, wanting to see how it played out. After all, this was too much of a coincidence, and it really was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Yakov had mentioned the Law of Magnetism, and as soon as he had, Phichit knew it to be true. There were too many things linking Yuuri’s soul to Viktor. It couldn’t be coincidence.

 

“Hey Viktor,” he said, keeping his voice even so as not to betray the absolute glee he was feeling, “Can you go run after Yuuri and make sure he’s ok? I don’t think he was feeling well earlier. And make sure he opens the door for you, he’ll just hide behind the door and lie otherwise.”

 

“Oh, um ok,” Viktor said as he rushed to follow Yuuri.

 

“First door on your right! I’ll be right up with some medicine, don’t worry.”

 

As Viktor bounded up the stairs, Phichit quickly grabbed a glass of water and some Advil to keep of the guise of Yuuri’s ‘illness’, and followed up the stairs. Yurio looked at him curiously since he knew as a reaper Yuuri couldn’t sick - but Yurio had never seen the posters, and so was completely unaware of the depth of the humiliation Yuuri was about to suffer. Granted, Yuuri had removed a few posters over the years, so his room was no longer quite the Viktor shrine it once had been. But still, there were more posters than could be justified by “a fellow skater I admire” as Yuuri had once attempted to justify it.

 

He practically flew up the stairs so he arrived when Viktor was still knocking rather loudly on the door. He seemed rather concerned, much to Phichit’s amusement.

 

“Yuuri! Phichit told me I had to insist that you open the door. Are you ok in there? It sounded like you fell or hit the wall or something? … Yuuri???” Viktor glanced over at Phichit, who nodded encouragingly.

 

“Oh, Yuuri, are you ok? I brought some medicine for you if you’re not feeling well~” Phichit said in a sing-song voice. He knew that Yuuri would know what he was up to immediately, and it didn’t lessen his glee one bit.

 

Through the door they heard a muffled “Mmm fine. Just a minute.”

 

Sure enough, a minute later, the door was opened by Yuuri, who was glistening in sweat and looked somewhat green. Phichit smiled even wider, knowing that Yuuri was suffering from nothing less than embarrassment. Poor, kind Viktor, however, had no idea and was deeply concerned.

 

“Yuuri - are you ok? You look terrible! Are you feverish? Nauseous? Phichit said he was bringing some medicine for you. Oh, I’m just so sorry I didn’t realize earlier that you were sick!”

 

At that Viktor turned to Phichit who immediately schooled his expression into one of concern and dutifully handed him a glass of water and an advil (they may not get sick, but they sure could feel pain).

 

Yuuri was glaring at him from behind Viktor, a burning stare that promised retribution.

 

Ha! Phichit thought! A retribution that would never come… Yuuri didn’t have it in him.

 

He continued to watch as Viktor attempted to baby a very embarassed and uncooperative Yuuri, whose room was now devoid of posters but held quite a few torn corners of paper hanging on the the wall by loosened tacks.

 

He turned away, leaving them to their argument. He smiled inwardly to himself. Yuuri really deserved this, he thought. This was the one piece that was missing in Yuuri's afterlife, the one thing that would make his soul complete.

 

Phichit felt something akin to contentment for the first time in a long while. Things were almost in place. Not much longer until he could retire and leave the universe in Yuuri’s very capable hands, finally finding the peace and rest he so desperately longed for. And he could finally rest since he knew that with the support of his soulmate, there was nothing his best friend wouldn’t be able to do.

 

~~~~~~ _FINI_ ~~~~~~

 

Hours had passed since Viktor had first started delving into Phichit’s memories, and he felt raw… but in a good way. He got up slowly from where he was sitting, drinking the last of the water in one go and bringing his glass with him for more. He was starving too, not having expected to have been occupied for so long.

 

Filling his glass and downing it again, Viktor rummaged in the fridge for a snack. He was still going through the images in his mind, and moreso, the emotions.

 

It was truly an incredible gift that Phichit had given him. He now understood why Phichit had called it his blackmail file. Yuuri really didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about (ok, the posters _maybe_ , but he wouldn’t bring it up for the sake of Yuuri’s dignity), but Yuuri still tended to deny the admiration of others. And that, above all else, is what would make his Yuuri uncomfortable.

 

Seeing Yuuri through Phichit’s eyes as he first became a reaper and shed the ties of humanity was amazing. And Phichit was right, it really did help Viktor understand some of Yuuri’s quirks that he accepted yet had not understood.

 

But above all else, he now realized what Phichit had realized - the universe had selected Yuuri for a very unique role, and out of all reapers only Yuuri was capable of it. Yuuri would bring peace and hope to those souls he touched; his touch would erase the hate that currently tainted the world. And Viktor’s job was to support Yuuri and ensure that Yuuri could carry this out - to make sure that Yuuri never lost his way and remained the innocent, strong soul that he was.

 

Although the prospect was a little daunting, he knew he would never fail Yuuri. And he would always honour the trust that Phichit had placed in him.

 

Having finished his snack, he looked at the time, noting that the afternoon was coming to a close. He busied himself in the fridge again, this time digging out the ingredients for the night’s dinner. After all… no one could change the future of Tir na Beatha with an empty stomach…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we’ve seen everything from the perspective of the three main characters :) If there is anything unresolved, just comment and I’ll answer :) I LIVE for comments :) As I said, I still have lots of pages of background that never made it in the final story, so if you have a question, chances are the answer is in my world building document somewhere :)
> 
> Also, I’m still trying to get inspired to write something else, so any suggestions are appreciated. Still contemplating a HP AU but not sure what to do with the plot since there’s so many already.
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> All the strange terminology and rules will be explained as we go, I promise :)
> 
> Some references I used:
> 
> For the earthquake:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami
> 
> For junior Worlds:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_World_Junior_Figure_Skating_Championships
> 
> Other:  
> http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/regional/miyagi/matusima.html


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